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^DESTROnilG 
iNGEU 




AND STARTLING 

DISCLOSURES 



OF THE NOTORIOUS 



BILLTHICKMASM, 

THE DANITE CHIEF OF UTAH. 

Written by Himself. 



SALT LAKE., UTAH. 1904s 

SHEPASD PUBLISHING COMP\HX,«\«.V\%^^'iS.A 

Z?2 Bute St.. OppOftitg Ho\c\ W.<t\»^9.Vo*^» 



THE 



Rocky Mountain Saints: 

A PULL AND COMPLETE 

History of the Mormons, from the First 

Vision of Joseph Smith to the Last 

Courtship of Brigham Young; 

inci^uding • 

The Story of thb Hand-cart Emigration— The Mormon 
War — The Mountain - Meadow Massacre — The 
Reign of Terror in Utah — The Doctrine of 
Human Sacrifice— The Political, Domes- 
tic, Social, and Theological Influ- 
ences OF the Saints— The Facts 
OF Polygamy— The Coloniza- 
tion OF* the Rocky 
Mountains, 

— AND THB — 

DEVEI.OPMENT OF THE GrEAT MINERAL WEAI.TH 

OF THE Territory of Utah, 

—BY— 

T. B. H. STENHOUSE, 

Twenty-five Years a Mormon Elder and Missionary, and^Editor and Pro- 
prietor of the^Salt Lake "Daily Telegraph." 



1.1 



Illustrated with Twenty-four Fall-page Engravings, a Steel Plate Front- 
ispiece, an Autographic L<etter of BrigORm Young.I- 
and Numerous Wood Cuts. 



•SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH: 
iShbpa&d Book Company, Publishebs. 

1904. 



The above is a fac'timile of the title page of the greatest and best 
^story of Moimoniaxn ever issued. For further particulars, see Third 
of coyer, 

POSTPAID, $3.00 IN CLOTH. 



THE MORMON^ 

STANFORD UNIVE^ 



OLLECTION 
ITY LIBRARY 




ESTABLISHED BY THE FR[ENDS OF 

KARL I. WINKLER 
1935 - 1955 

GIFT OF Bernard De Vote 




WILUAH A. HICKMAN. 



Brigham's 
Destroying Angel 



BEING THE 



LIFE, CONFESSION, AND STARTLING 

DISCLOSURES 



OP THE NOTORIOUS 



BILL HICKMAN, 

The Danitk Chief of Utah. 



Written by Himself, with Explanatory Notes by 

J. H. BEADLE, Esq., 



OF Salt I«ake City. 



ILLUSTRATED. 



Salt I^akb City, Utah: 
SHEPARD PUBLISHING COMPANY, PUBLISHERS, ' ' 
272 State St., Opposite Hotel Knutsford, 

1904. ; 



.-4, 



STACKS 



Kntered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, by Gborgb A. 
Cropdtt, in the office of the I«ibrarlan of Congress 

at Washington. 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1904, by Richard B. 
Shbpard, in the office of the I«ibrarian of Congress 

at Washington. 



PR El FA GK. 



It was in the Winter of 1868-9, that the editor fii*st saw 
the subject of this work upon the street in Salt Lake. He 
was then spoken of generally in Utah as one of the notabili- 
ties of an epoch long past. I never heard him mentioned as 
having any connection with church or civil matters of recent 
occurrence. For years I had heard of *'Bill Hickman, Chief 
of the Destroying Angels, Head Danite," &c., ad 'nmiscam; 
but like most pei*sons unacquainted with Mormon history, 
I regarded such matters as the creations of a fertile fancy. 
When convinced by a longer residence in Utah that there 
was and had long ])een some kind of a secret organization 
dangerous to Gentile and recusant Mormons. I began to 
examine the history of the Church more carefully; and while 
all the Mormon people spoke of Bill Hickman as a desper- 
ately bad man, and guilty of untold murders, I was struck 
by two curious and then unexplainable facts: — 

1. The first was, that while eveiybody, from Brigham 
Young down, united in calling Hickman a murderer, and 
while evidence could easily be collected of several of his 
crimes, not a si'Uffle attempt had heen made 6// priest or people 
to bring him to justice. For twenty y^rs the Mormons had 
the courts and juries exclusively in their own hands. During 
that time many pei*sons had been executed for crime; they 
could do as they pleased in judicial mattei*s, and abundant 
evidence was before them against Hickman; but no grand 
jury ever moved, there was no indictment, and not even a 
complaint before an examining magistrate. This indicated 
somethim/ — but what? Until I obtained Hickman's manu- 
script, I never fully knew. When Hickman was arrested all 
the Mormon speakers and papers united in denouncing him 
as "a notorious criminal, who had long been able to evade 
justice." If this was known, as they admit it was, why was 
not Hickman arrested and punished during that long period 
in which the Mormons arrested and punished whomsoever 



VI PREFACE. 

they pleased? Ah, why, indeed— except upon the explana- 
tion given in this book. 

2. The second point is, that long after Hickman was 
known as a murderer he was successively promoted to a 
number of offices; he was Sheriff and Representative of one 
county. Assessor and Collector of Taxes, and Marshal; and 
during all this time he was on terms of personal intimacy with 
Brigham Young. He was "in fellowship" In the Church until 
1864, and Porter Rockwell, his compeer in crime, is a mem- 
ber of the Mormon Church in "full fellowslilp" to-day, and 
now the companion of Brigham Young m his travels! • Can 
these things be explained on any theory, except that the 
statements in this book are true? 

During all the changes of 1869 and 70 I rarely heard of 
Hickman. At length, in the autumn of 1870, while at Stock- 
ton, Utah, I heard the account of his polygamous wife, which 
is detailed in his confession. A few days after I left there I 
was horrified to hear of the murder of her Gentile husband 
— a Spaniard — and the evidence left no doubt in my mind 
that it was perpetrated by Hickman, assisted probably by 
one Bates, son of a Mormon bishop. It was reported that 
ho had fled to the Southern part of Utah, and generally be- 
lieved that he had taken refuge at Kanab, the new Mormon 
sti'onghold in the mountains bounding the Great Basin on 
the south, supposed also to be the hiding place of Burton 
(murderer of the Morrlsites), Porter Rockwell, and other 
Danites, who, like Brigham Young, have "gone South for 
their health." But negotiations were in progress for his 
surrender, as detailed in his statement, and in August, 1871, 
he was brought to Camp Douglas. He is not confined, as, 
for obvious reasons, he would not dare return to any of 
the Mormon settlements, but has the freedom of the camp, 
with quarters and rations at the guard-room. From this 
place he sent me an invitation to visit him, and there I first 
met him face to face. I saw a man of heavy build, round 
head, and somewhat awkward, shuffling gait; five feet nine 
inches in height, with bright, but cold blue eyes, of extreme 
mobility, hair and beard dark auburn^the latter now tinged 
with gray — and a square, solid chin. His vitality is evi- 
dently great, and his muscles well developed. Our conversa- 
tion need not be recorded, except to say that the man im- 
pressed me with his earnestness, and left me with a much 
better opinion of him than I had before. I then agreed to 
take charge of his manuscript, and, to use his own lan- 
guage, "Fix it up in shape, so people would understand it." 



PREFACE. VU 

My first intention was to re-write it entirely, speaking 
of Hickman in the third person; but one perusal satisfied 
me that it would be far better as he had written it. I have 
thought it best, also, to preserve his own phraseology near- 
ly exactly, only inserting a word occasionally where ab- 
solutely necessary to prevent mistake. With very few ex- 
ceptions, the narrative is precisely as written by Hickman, 
and, some faults of grammar and slang terms aside, I 
think every critic must admit that our sentimental and 
religious murderer has a singularly pleasing style. Neitiier 
have I thought it best to interrupt his narrative with ex- 
planations, but in the more important cases have added the 
corroborative evidence in an appendix. Late developments 
in Utah have poured a flood of light on many dark and 
bloody mysteries, and it is a great mistake to suppose that 
the recent criminal proceedings against Brigham Young and 
other leaders were founded upon the testimony of Hickman 
alone. He only supplied the clew which led to other 
evidence. 

Notwithstanding the publications on the subject, many 
are still unacquainted with Mormon history. Hence I 
have given a brief outline thereof in the first chapter, 
which is submitted to the criticism of the reader. 

J. H. BEADLE. 
Salt Lake City. Dec, 10, 1870. 




BRIGHAM YOUNG. 



CHAPTER I. 
INTKODUCTORY HISTORY. 

BY THE EDITOR. 

COMPARISON OF M0RM0NI8M WITH OTHER SECTS — ITS 
INHERENT VICES — ITS ORIGIN AND SUBSEQUENT 
PHASES — THE ^^GOLDEN BIBLE^^ SPECULATION — THE 
"COMMUNITY^^ AT KIRTLAND — THE FANATICAL POWER 
IN MISSOURI, AND CONSEQUENT EXPULSION — NAUVOO 
— CRIME, POLITICS, AND WAR — FLIGHT WESTWARD — 
SETTLEMENT IN UTAH — HICKMAN COMES UPON THE 
SCENE. 

MoRMONiSM, unfortunately for man's intellectual 
pride, is no new thing. From the eariiest times history 
is full of the records of sects and races who imagined 
they alone had a right to the favor of God. For eight- 
een hundred years every generation has witnessed new 
revolts against the pure principle of "Peace on earth 
and good-will to men" — new sects of fanatics who 
would wrest the mild precepts of the Gospel, and de- 
duce therefrom license for themselves, and a sanction 
for vengeance on their enemies. Most often — let the 
philosopher mark the ?trange and important fact — 
these perversions have touched the divinely established 
relations of the sexes: sometimes to grant one woman 
many husbands, sometimes to give one man many 



10 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

wives; at other times enforcing celibacy, and at still 
others setting up a complete sexual communism like 
the beasts of the field. 

Inevitably such relations drew after them a mixed 
mass of social and political results: Moody and despotic 
governments, absolute power in the male head of the 
family or tribe, a religion of force rntempered by mercy 
or love, jealousy, hatred, and unspeakable mutilation of 
young males. The Eunuch is the natural result of a 
polygamous society, and already several such cases have 
occurred in Utah. 

The very name now blasphemously assumed by the 
Mormons — "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day- 
Saints^* — was taken three centuries since by the bloody 
fanatics of Zwickau and Munster. And their doctrines 
were so similar to those held to-day in Utah as to excite 
the astonishment of the inquirer. Mormons in Ger- 
many in the time of Luther! 

All these perversions of Scriptural marriage exist in 
some shape, in a few communities in America to-day — 
Shakers, Free-lovers, Communists, and Mormons. The 
last has developed the greatest strength, and been guilty 
of most cruelty and violation of law ; and to a complete 
understanding of the personal narrative which follows, 
a brief account of the nature and history of the sect is 
necessary. 

Mormonism is sanctified selfishness: a system which 
teaches practically that very little restraint need be put 
upon the baser passions; they can be religiously direct- 
ed and piously cultivated ; that the reward of obedience 



brigham's destroying angel. 11 

is not within the soul, a pure and hallowed delight, but 
temporal good and great power in the world to come, 
where a select few are to inherit all the good and all the 
others be their servants. To its adherents this gospel, 
not of humility and self-denial, but of pride and self- 
aggrandizement, promises substantially this: In a lit- 
tle while they will triumph over all their enemies, and 
every eari^hly power shall be put under them ; the Saints 
shall possess the eari^h, and the unbelievers be trodden 
beneath their feet; all the farms and properi;y in the 
country will ere long be theirs, the women and children 
be their wives and servants, and to all eternity they will 
glory over the Gentiles. Heaven itself would not be 
heaven to a good Mormon, unless he could have a few 
Gentiles to lord it over. 

Of course such a sect can never be pariiculariy dan- 
gerous, or any more than a local disturbance, to a free 
government; since it is the product of a previous men- 
tal slavery, and not of free institutions and free thought. 
But while it endures it is a grievous local tyranny, and 
on its members such doctrines must produce a terrible 
eflEect. In the very nature of the case, and under the 
mysterious moral law which governs the universe, such 
a belief cannot foster humility, long-suffering, charity 
to opponents, patient kindness, or universal love; its 
fruits are' necessarily arrogance, spiritual pride, wild 
enthusiasm, and religious intolerance. 

I invite the special attention of the reader who cares 
to inquire, to Mormon literature for the past forty years. 
In it you will find no deep contrition for sin, no earnest 



12 ^ CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

aspirations for humility, no heartfelt recognition of the 
brotherhood of man, no prayers "that all men every- 
where might be tree" no lively sympathy for philan- 
thropic societies struggling against a sea of woes and 
troubles. On the contrary, all Mormon sermons and 
speeches can be compressed to just this: ''We arc the 
Lord's people, His chosen people, His peculiar people, 
to whom He has spoken by the mouth of His Prophet 
in these latter days; we know of a surety that our re- 
ligion is right, and everybody else wrong, and the world 
hates us because we are right and they are wrong, and 
we have a perfect right to hate them because they hate 
us; the world has d^enerated; there is no true relig- 
ion, no real virtue outside of us; men are worse than 
in the days of Christ, and were worse then than in Abra- 
ham's day : the world is ripe and rotten ripe for the har- 
vest of blood and death, and all hell is let loose to rage 
against the Saints V' 

Can men who believe this sort of thing ever live in 
complete amity with their neighbors? That they do 
believe it I offer in evidence all their so-called theolog- 
ical works. (See P. P. Pratt's Key to Theology; Orson 
Pratt's Works — particularly The Kingdom of God; the 
JournaJ of Discourses; the Voice of Warning; and doc- 
trinal sermons in old volumes of the Millennial Star,) 

Nor is their social system other than organized selfish- 
ness. The Saint must marry many wives. Why ? Be- 
cause he will thus %uild up his kingdom for eternity." 
But the numbers of the sexes being equal, even in Utah, 
he must build it at somebody else's expense: if he mar- 



brigham's destroying angel. 13 

ries ten wives, nine other men must do without one 
apiece. He robs his brethren of any kingdom in order 
to build up his own. Hence the logical necessity of the 
doctrine, so carefully taught in the works of Pratt and 
Spencer, that only the rigJiteous are entitled to wives 
at all! "It follows conclusively," says Pratt, "that from 
the wicked shall be taken away even the wife that he 
has, and she shall be given to the righteous man." Who 
the "righteous" are is, of course, already settled in their 
minds ; the Gentiles, when things get properly fixed, are 
to have no wives. Can men who entertain such an idea 
of God's providences have much consideration for God's 
creatures? Will those who hold such low and imper- 
fect notions of their neighbor's rights have regard for 
that neighbor's life, or liberty, or property, if he "stands 
in the way of the kingdom ^of God"? Can a man be 
much better than his ideal? Can the devotee rise above 
the standard of his god? Fortunately, most of the com- 
mon Mormons have not quite entered into the spirit of, 
or ^lived up to," their faith. They were recruited from 
the industrious, simple classes of northern Europe, and 
Mormonism has not entirely spoiled them. Neverthe- 
less, I maintain that the ultimate effect of such a faith 
must be a selfish meanness. 

Slavery and polygamy — "twin relics" — may well be 
put beside each other in a brief parallel. As of slavery 
thus: if a man will steal another man, steal his whole 
lifetime, his labor, his free-will to go and come — ^he 
shows thereby that he has taken one long step, if he is 
not some distance on the road, towards stealing any 



14 CONFESSION OP BILL HICKMAN. 

other thing he can safely get away with. For what 
greater good can he. steal than a man^s liberty and the 
proceeds of his lifetime? Similarly of polygamy: if a 
man will crucify the wife of his youth, and put her to 
open shame, by introducing another woman into the 
family, and calling her his wife, if he will make misery 
for two helpless persons and pervert nature's current in 
the breast of woman, whether for earthly lust or heav- 
enly glory, he shows by that act that he will use an- 
other's misery for his own happiness, that he is a long 
way on the road towards doing any other mean thing 
which will give him an advantage over his fellow-man. 
Hence a nation of slave-holders cannot long remain a 
nation of freemen; a race of polygamists is sure to 
become a race of self-seeking sensualists. Love, forgive- 
ness, kindly charity, must wither in such an air. But 
this argument, says one, touches the principle of free- 
dom in belief. Granted: the hard fact still remains 
that some religions are of such a nature that their reduc- 
tion to practice would render their devotees utterly unfit 
for amity or even neighborhood with civilized society. 
The world has known scores of such religions; soon or 
late they have one and all come into violent contact with 
government or society, and yielded or been crushed. A 
religion which makes it the chief hope of its devotee to 
crush his opponents, not to convert or soften and unite 
with them, can produce but one class of fruits: hatred, 
malice, and all uncharitableness, strife and animosity 
against all who dissent. Hence the Mormon's bitter 
hatred of "apostates.'' Other churches pray for the 



brigham's destroying anqbl. 15 

backslider; the Mormon curses them with hideous blas- 
phemy. Said Heber Kimball : *T do pray for my ene- 
mies; I pray God Almighty to damn ^em.** Said Brig- 
ham Young, in his sermon against the '^Gladdenites'* 
{Journal of Discourses, Vol. I., p. 82) : "Now keep 
your tongues still, or sudden destruction will come upon 
you. Rather than apostates shall flourish here, I will 
unsheathe my bowie-knife, and conquer or die. ♦ ♦ ♦ 
Such a man should be cut oflE just below the ears.^^ Sud 
again, "I would take that bosom pin I used to wear at 

N"auvoo, and cut his d d throat from ear to ear and 

say, ^60 to hell across lots.^ *' If such words were spoken 
in the pulpit and published iy the Church, what may 
we not suspect to have been said and done in secret? 
Nevertheless, some apologists maintain that the Mor- 
mons, despite such a religion, would be first-rate citi- 
zens, "if let alone, and granted a State government.'^ 
Can a bitter fountain send forth sweet water? can a 
people's whole inner life be bad, and their outer life 
good? If the Mormons are truly that peaceful, quiet, 
and industrious people we sometimes hear of, fitted f6r 
good citizens, why have they come into violent conflict 
with the people in all their seven places of settlement? 
For they have tried every different kind of people, from 
New York through Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri, to Salt 
Lake. Are oil the people of all those places incurably 
vicious, mobbers and trespassers on religious rigU? 
This is your only possible conclusion, if you start with 
the hypothesis that the Mormon religion makes its dev- 
otees good citizens. The position is false; the facts are 



16 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

patent, and sound reason points to but one conclusion : 
the organization of the Mormon Church is such that 
it cannot exist untler a republican government or in a 
civilized country without constant collision. This is a 
strong statement, but as a little monarchy could not 
exist in one country of an American State, as the 
Pope's temporality could not continue in the middle of 
Victor Emanuel's kingdom, so an ecclesiastical organ- 
ization like that of the Mormon Church cannot peace- 
ably continue in America, It is idle to talk of any com- 
promise, such as Statehood by abandoning polygamy. 
The Church is a political entity claiming absolute tem- 
poral power within its jurisdiction; it must subjugate 
or be subjugated; it must rule the country it occupies 
or cease to exist. The conflict in some shape is inevi- 
table. Mormonism is Mohammedanism Yankeeized. 
What Mahomet sought by his followers' swords, it seeks 
by subtle means, by perverting the machinery of free 
government. 

The history of Mormonism is an exhibit of the fore- 
going principles reduced to practice; a series of attempts 
by the Church to erect local sovereignties, each defeated 
by government or people. It has presented no less than 
five distinct phases. 

I. The first was that of the Golden Bible speculation. 
For the best evidence now shows that Smith and Rig- 
don scarcely hoped for anything more at first than to 
create a furore over the "Manuscript Found," and make 
money by the sale of the work, and that they were as 
much astonished as anyone else when they found the 



18 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

matter making converts. But they were shrewd and 
knavish enough to use their advantage, and thus the 
speculation was the beginning of a new religion. The 
Pratts came into the organization a few months after; 
but Mormonism, as it stood for many years, as the basis 
now stands, was the joint work of Joe Smith, Sidney 
Eigdon, Orson Pratt, and Parley P. Pratt It is not 
known that Brigham Young is the author of any dis- 
tinct doctrine. 

But, although converts multiplied, the authors were 
too near home to work successfully. The young Church 
emigrated to Ohio, almost in a body, and entered upon 
another stage. 

II. The second phase of Mormonism was as a "Com- 
munistic Society,^^ an experiment in religious co-opera- 
tion, in Kirtland, Ohio. There the "Order of Enoch'' 
was first revealed to Joe Smith, and at that period of 
Mormon history we first get a glimpse of the "Perfect 
Oneness'' which afterwards played such a part in Illi- 
nois. The "revelation" for the first, stripped of all its 
verbiage, its "verily saith the Lord," and "my servant, 
Joseph Smith, Junior," simply means this : Each mem- 
ber is to deed his property to the Church or bishop, and 
hold it as steward, while all outside commerce is to be 
managed on a joint-stock principle. This has proved 
most difficult to introduce of all the Mormon schemes, 
though it has been revived several times since. 

The "Perfect Oneness" consisted of an organization of 
the brethren into quorums of five, over each of which 
one was a sort of guardian ; the property of the others 



BRIQHAM^S DESTBOYINa ANQEL. 1 

was deeded to this one^ so that in case of ^^vexatious 
lawsuits/' as the Mormons style all suits brought against 
them, they could prove that it belonged to whichever 
one was necessary in order to defeat the execution. The 
Prophet had exercised a great deal of perverted inge- 
nuity on these matters; but it requires no prophet to 
state the inevitable result. They could, of course, have 
no other effect thau to cause all neighboring people to 
look upon the community with utter detestation. A 
mill was erected, a store opened, and a bank established 
upon the new principle. The brethren were credited at 
the store, or tithiiig receipts were accepted, or the goods 
were let out as pay to workmen on the temple. The 
result was, when Smith's notes fell due to Eastern deal- 
ersi, he was unable to meet them; his creditors sued his 
endorsers, wealthy Mormons who had embarked in the 
joint-stock scheme; judgment was rendered; the Gen- 
tile obtained a judgment; the Mormons ^T)eat them on 
the execution,'' and "persecution" followed as a matter 
of course. The bank enabled them to put off the evil 
day for a while. It was what was then — in the unset- 
tled condition of banking laws in the Western States — 
denominated a "wild-cat" bank — ^that is, it had no char- 
ter from the State, and deposited no stocks as security, 
but its credit rested solely on the wealth of the project- 
ors. Many Western men will remember the multiplic- 
ity of such institutions about that time (1830-40), and 
more than one "Hoosier" will think of the "Brandon 
Bank Paper," "John Watson Money," "Old Canawl 
Bank," and the "Kirtland Safety Society Bank," with 



20 CONFESSION OP BILL HICKMAN. 

a reflective sense of grief. The elders were sent out fo 
put the notes of the bank in circulation, and worked so 
indusTriously at it that in a year they were worth but 
eight cents on the dollar. Mormons who had invested 
in these schemes apostatized and sued for their shares; 
they were thrust out of the community, and appealed to 
the Gentiles, and, in the words of Smith's Autobiogra- 
phy, "a hot persecution began.*' Several Mormons were 
badly treated in the neighborhood; Parley P. Pratt was 
"egged'' ; Joe Smith and Sidney Kigdon were tarred and 
feathered "for forgery, communism, and dishonorable 
dealing" — the mob said — and soon after fled from Kirt- 
land to avoid arrest on civil process. The Kirtlaud 
branch of the Church soon followed, and the second 
stage of Mormonism came to an untimely end. 

III. The third phase had already been inaugurated, 
in the form of a wild religious fanaticism in northwest- 
ern Missouri. Settlement had begun in Jackson County, 
Mo., soon after that at Kirtland, and by the spring of 
1833 the Mormons there numbered 1,500. Joe Smith 
had visited the place two years before and delivered a 
voluminous revelation, which may be found in the Doc- 
trine and Co(venants, stating that the whole land was 
the property "of the Lord and His Saints. * * * The 
temple shall be upon the center spot lying westward of 
the town of Independence. ♦ * * * Wherefore it 
is wisdom that my Saints shall obtain an inheritance in 
the land. * * * * howbeit, the land shall not be 
obtained hut by purchase or by blood/' This was cer- 
tainly an unfortunate beginning for people who wished 



bbioham's destboyinq angel. 21 

to live at peace with their new neighbors. The old set- 
tlers laughed at these pretensions, and were threatened 
with damnation. But real earthly danger soon menaced 
them: in one year more, at their rate of increase, the 
Mormons would outnumber the citizens and get com- 
plete control of the county, and there was already ill 
feeling enough for the latter to conjecture too well what 
kind of justice they would receive. 

The Mormons now became loud and arrogant: they 
solemnly announced the judgment of God, immediate 
and bloody, on all who opposed them; their Sabbaths 
were spent in "experience meetings,'^ "speaking in un- 
known tongues,^^ and prophecies of blood upon the 
unbelievers; they threatened an alliance with neighbor- 
ing Indian tribes, notified Gentiles that it was useless 
for them to open farms or settle there, prophesied at 
one time a pestilence which would depopulate the adja- 
cent country, and at another a war, and proclaimed gen- 
erally that in a short time "Gentiles and unbelievers 
would have neither name nor place in all the borders 
of Zion.^' 

Of course all these matters were greatly magnified, 
and a thousand rumors spread about the intentions of 
these *T)Ioody fanatics.'* It was said they intended to 
prophesy a pestilence, and then poison all the wells of 
the State to bring it about; that they were in league 
with the Indians to rise and massacre the old settlers; 
that numerous Mormons had secretly got the places of 
ferry-men, with intention to cause the death by drown- 
^R — ^J apparent accident — of their principal enemies, 



22 CONFESSIOK' OF BILL HIOKHAK. 

and that they had arrangements for secret incendiaries 
to bum near places nnfavorable to their religion. About 
this time, also, we find the first hints of polygamy in 
Mormon documents, and the first charges of that vice 
by the Gentiles. The papers published all these mat- 
ters with inflammatory comments, to which the Mor- 
mon paper and speakers responded with threats of 
defiance. 

The ^^old settlers of Jackson County'* then issued a 
call for a meeting ^% provide for means of defense,'* 
which assemblage issued a public manifesto, which I 
condense to the principal points: ^^e cannot,'* says 
the address, ^^trust to the civil law when dealing with a 
people who do not respect oaths or agreements with 
those not of their faith. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ And when they 
shall have gained control of the county, let the public 
judge how we should obtain justice at the hands of men 
who do not hesitate to depose on oath that they have 
conversed with the Savior, had visions of angels, and 
performed all the miracles of healing the sick and rais- 
ing the dead. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Of their pretense to divine 
power, their blasphemous utterances, and the contempti- 
ble gibberish with which they habitually profane the 
Sabbath, we have nothing to say; vengeance belongs to 
God aloHa ♦♦♦♦♦♦ But in protection of 
our common rights, in justice to ourselves and families, 
and in view of the bright prospects which, if not nipped 
in the bud, await this young and growing community- 
we do most solemnly declare — 

'^That hereafter no Mormons, either individually or 



BRIGHAM's DESTROYIira ANGEL. 23 

collectively, shall be pennitted to settle in Jackson 
Connty. 

^*That those now here on a definite pledge of removal 
in the future, shall be granted reasonable time in which 
to dispose of their land and wind up their business. 
«««««« Should any of the Mormons refuse to 
accede to these conditions, they are referred to those of 
the brethren who have the gifts of divination and un- 
known tongues, to learn what fate awaits them/' 

This sarcastic conclusion was acted upon in serious 
earnest. The Mormons refused to leave, the citizens rose 
against them, a sort of civil war ensued, and the Mor- 
mons were driven across the Missouri into Clay County 
with some acts of extreme cruelty. 

The Jacksonians have been much blamed for this 
action, and, indeed, they have but one excuse : either they 
or the Mormons must leave Jackson ; they did not want 
to go, and so the Mormons had to. With this view the 
Mormons practically coincide: the perfection of their 
church system is incompatible with other civilized soci- 
eties, and cannot exist in the same neighborhood with 
them. When they become tolerant and amicable, they 
simply cease to be Mormons. Individual Mormons in 
Utah at the present time who are social and intimate 
with Gentiles, always apostatize; Mormonism only be- 
comes peaceful with the world in the degree that it 
ceases to be Mormonism. 

Prom Clay the Saints spread into Caldwell and other 
counties, where th^ prospered greatly for a whila Then 
political troubles arose. They voted as a unit, and scat- 



24 CONFESSION OF BILL HIOEMAK. 

tered their forces in different counties^ so as to wield the 
greatest possible political power. An anti-Mormon con- 
vention unanimously resolved that, "though it cost blood 
to prevent it, the rule of these counties shall never be 
given to Joseph Smith/^ Every species of crime was 
alleged against them, much of which was shown to be 
true in the local evidence, collected and published by 
the order of the State. 

The same thing was repeated on a larger scale, with 
more political complications, in the counties north o\ 
the Missouri, and in the autumn of 1838 the entire sect 
was driven froin the State. 

IV. The fourth stage of Mormonism was as a polit- 
ical independency in Hancock County, Illinois. Six 
years of local tjrranny produced the same effects there, 
and in 1846 an angry people expelled them violently 
from Illinois. Most of the native adherents abandoned 
it, and Mormonism ceased for the most part to be an 
American Church. 

V. The fifth phase we find in Utah : an essentially 
foreign community, governed by a few swindling Yan- 
kees, holding to just so much of original Mormonism 
as serves their purpose. Here our history ceases to be 
general, and becomes personal ; with the expulsion from 
Nauvoo, Hickman comes upon the scene as a prominent 
actor, and I leave him to speak for himself. 



CHAPTEB 11. 
HICKMAN'S ITAEEATIVE. 

• ■ 

BIKTH AND EARLY LIPE — ^FIRST DEED OF DARING — ^KILL- 
ING THE PANTHER — ^EDUCATION — ^MARRIAGE — JOINS 
THE MORMONS — ^ACQUAINTANCE WITH JOSEPH SMITH 
— THE TROUBLES AT NAUVOO — HICKMAN IN PRISON — 
INGENIOUS ESCAPE — ^FIRST ACT OF VIOLENCE UNDER 
THE RULE OF BRIGHAM YOUNG — ^KILLING THE COUN- 
TERFEITER — SHOOTING THE INDIANS — ^FLIGHT OF 
HICKMAN — ^ADVENTURES ON THE PLAINS — ^ARRIVAL 
AT SALT LAKE. 

I was bom the 16th of April, 1815, in Warren County, 
Kentucky. My parents were early settlers of the State 
of Virginia, I being the sixth generation on this N'orth 
American continent. I had, according to my grand- 
father's story, twenty-one blood relatives in the Revo- 
lutionary War, and not a Tory among them, which fact, 
the last time I saw him, twenty-eight years ago, he was 
boasting of. He gave me a long lecture, telling me he 
was old, and did not expect to see me again; that he 
knew nothing about my. religion, neither did he care; 
but I must promise him that I would always be true to 
my country, telling me of the hardships the old revolu- 
tioners underwent, and the inherent right that I had to 
this independent Government, which made impression? 
on my mind and feelings that will ever remain with me. 



26 CONFESSION OP BILL HICKMAN. 

When I was three years old my father moved from Ken- 
tucky to Missouri, and settled on the Missouri Eiver, in 
the town then known as Old Franklin, which is now, 
with almost the entire bottom, washed into the river. 
It was opposite where Booneville now is, where the wild 
Indians were roaming, and committing depredations all 
over that country. Men were killed while plowing in 
their fields, and occasionally an entire family brutally 
butchered by those savages, the Sacs and Poxes. But 
peace being made two years afterwards, my father moved 
forty miles north, near where Huntsville now is. A 
settlement of some twelve or fifteen families composed 
the whole population of that region. There were only 
two families north of us, and none west, so you can 
imagine the wild country in which I spent my boyhood. 
There was plenty of buffalo in less than a day's ride; 
elk, bear, deer, turkeys, and bees, no end to them, and 
panthers screaming almost every night, which, together 
with the howling of wolves and screeching of owls, was 
most terrific to one so young. But it soon became a 
kind of second nature, and I would, when I heard those 
dreadful panther screams, or an unusual howling of 
wolves, look at father first, then at mother (yes, many 
was the time), to see if I could detect any look of fear 
in either of them. When I did not, I could compose my- 
self and be at ease ; but when I noticed them watching 
or listening I would keep a breathless silence : and many 
was the time I could her my heart beat, apparently to 
me as loud as a pheasant drumming on a log. But all 
went well for a year or so, when the Indians made an« 



i8 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

other raid on an exploring party who came from the 
Missouri River to look at the country north of us, sev- 
eral of the party being killed. This was only about ten 
miles from our settlement, and then it was all the fam- 
ilies got together, and all the men except three went 
after the Indians. They found six whites who had been 
burned at one place, and two were missing who were 
never heard of. The men were gone a week or so, but 
did not overtake the Indians. Scouting parties were 
kept, out for a long time, till the Indians left, and the 
country commenced being popidated. Many of the peo- 
ple became very industrious, making good farms, and 
raising grain and stock in abundance; while others 
would follow hunting, and seemed to care for little else. 
My father built the first grist-mill in that country, 
and it was run almost constantly day and night for four 
or five years, no other mill being within forty miles of 
it. At the age of ten or eleven years we had the first 
school in the neighborhood, but my father and mother 
both having a fair education, had taught me and my 
two younger brothers at home; so that when I com- 
menced school I could spell, read, and write tolerably 
well. About this time we got a legislative grant of a 
new county, and Randolph, the county seat, was located 
six miles from father^s. Then commenced horse-racing 
and whisky-drinking, the backwoods roughs trying their 
manhood by fighting, many of whom would get most 
brutally beaten before they would jrield to their anta-^- 
onists, frequently getting a finger bit oflE, or an ear or 
nose, and sometimes an eye pulled out. At the first elec- 



bbigham's destroying angel. 29 

tion in the country, my father was elected magistrate, 
which ofiBce he held seven years, and he who after- 
ward became my father-in-law, George Burckhardt, wa? 
elected representative of that coimty to the Missouri 
Legislature, which ofiBce he filled fourteen years. We 
had a three months^ school in the neighborhood every 
fall after it commenced. About the time I was twelve 
or thirteen years old, I performed my first feat of brav- 
ery. My father had several hundred head of hogs which 
roamed the woods, and needed no feed except when the 
ground was frozen; then they would gather in, and with 
them wild ones, having tremendous teeth sticking out 
of their mouths, and they would attack persons fre- 
quently. My father sent me to the mill to feed the hogs 
out of the toll corn in the mill, at the same time telling 
me to look out for the wild boars. I finished and started 
to the house, which was three or four hundred yards, 
and had got about half-way, when I looked behind me 
and saw a huge wild boar coming full tilt after me, not 
more than fifty steps behind. I started homeward for 
life, and an old hunting dog met me at the top of his 
speed, almost knocking me down as he passed. After 
making a few jumps, I stopped and turned to see the 
fight; 1 saw a fearful gash in the dog's shoulder, but 
he had the boar by the ear, and that moment fear turned 
into anger, and saying to myself, "I will kill you or die 
in the attempt,^' I picked up what we then called a 
hand-spike, which lay by the roadside, and made for the 
hog. But I had to back three or four times, as he would 
run at me with the dog holding to him. After awhile 



30 CONFESSION OF BILL HIOKHAK. 

I got a blow across his back^ which brought his hind 
parts to the ground. I followed up my blows, the old 
dog holding to him, notwithstanding he had received 
three severe wounds, one on his neck, which I thought 
wotdd be fatal from the flowing of the blooi But, 
faithful to his yoimg master, whenever I would shout, 
"Hold him tight, Catch,^^ he would go in while I struck 
the boar on the back and loins. I then took out my 
pocket-knife and cut his ham-strings, then cut a hole 
in his side, and literally gutted him, a handful at a 
time. 1 saw him dying, and for the first time, after 
speaking to the dog, he let him go. 

I went home all bloody, went in and met father; he 
looked at me and asked what was the matter. I told 
him. He turned pale, then said I must be mistaken. 
He shouldered his gun and went with me. The first 
3iing I showed him was the dog; poor fellow, he had 
stopped bleeding, and lay stretched in the door-yard. 
Father said he had never seen such teeth before. He 
gave me orders not to go out any more until the hogs 
had all gone for the woods again. This was much talked 
of. Many men said that no money could have hired 
them to do what I had done. 

About two years after this, in the spring, we had a 
twenty-acre field ready to plant in corn. It being a big 
day^s work for all hands, we were out as soon as it was 
light But when, first up we heard the blood-hounds 
naking an awful noise, and understood that they had 
jmething up a tree, but supposed it was nothing but 
a coon, which were plentiful. The hounds often took 



BBIGHAM^S DESTBOYINO ANGEL. 31 

a hunt without anyone with them. They would tree 
coons and keep up their barking and howling until 
mornings when some of us would go and see what they 
had, and thus get the game by cutting down the tree, 
or shooting the animal. But this morning there was an 
unusual amount of barking, as though there was some- 
thing more than coons, and father said to me, "Bill, take 
the gun, and go and see what those dogs have treed.^^ 
I started with a gun and knife, went about half a mile, 
and saw in a tree a large, full-grown panther, and the 
dogs under the tree. The hair stood straight upon my 
head; but 1 roused my courage, cocked my gun, and 
approached within fifty yards of the tree, when the sav- 
age-looking monster spied me. He leaped from the tree, 
and the dogs, six in number, four blood-hounds and two 
strong curs, caught him. 1 ran up, but there was such 
a turning and rolling that I feared to shoot, seeing no 
chance to do so without hitting some of the dogs. 1 
drew my knife, as I saw him stretched by the dogs, and 
made a lunge for him ; but he saw me, and made another 
effort, breaking loose from the cur that had him by the 
neck, and reached his paw for me, making a heavy 
stroke. He caught my pants just below the waist-band, 
and took out a strip about three inches wide, clear to 
the bottom. I turned and saw the dogs had covered him 
almost, but he was getting up, some having hold one 
place and some another. All his legs were held by the 
dogs but one. I made a sudden break, and stabbed him 
through the heart the first blow, jumped back, and 
faiiouted to the dogs. I saw him weaken, and soon he 



32 OONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

was dead. He was too heavy for me to carry; it was 
all I wanted to do to lift him. I went home and told 
the news, but was not believed until we went and packed 
the huge animal in. My pants I had tied up with hick- 
ory bark until I got home. The story about the strip 
torn out of them was too big to be believed, and they 
said it was not so — ^that I had torn them on a snag, or 
running through the brush; but when we went to get 
him the strip was in his claws, and stuck fast, and that 
was evidence beyond doubt that I had run a great risk, 
and I was strongly reprimanded for it. I loved sport, 
such as hunting and fishing, when 1 got the chance, and 
was full of mischief, such as tricks for f im-making, but 
I scarcely ever had a fight with a neighbor boy. I was 
strictly raised by a very quiet father and mother. I 
never saw my father drunk, nor heard him swear an 
oath; and can say more than most men, that I never 
knew my father and mother to quarrel. I have heard 
father say since I was grown that I was the best and 
worst boy he had raised : the best to work and do busi- 
ness, but doing more mischief than all the rest. 

At the age of fifteen I was sent away from home to 
school. I was urged to go to the study of medicine, and 
did, but after a few months I gave it up, and went to 
school again. I was then urged to go to the study of 
the law, which I liked better; but became rather tired 
of that, and, seeing I had to be at books, I concluded I 
would go to school again. I was sent to another neigh- 
borhood, and boarded at George Burckhardt^s, who was 
sending three of his family to the same school. 1 soon 



BRIGHAM^S DESTROYING ANGEL. 33 

became charmed with one of his daughters. I thought 
she was the prettiest little black-eyed creature that ever 
lived. I was sixteen, and she was nearly three years 
older. This was my first love. She became attached to 
me, and when not studying we were engaged in social 
conversation. In four or five months we were engaged 
to be married when I got old enough. Our love in- 
creased, time went off slowly, and at the age of seven- 
teen we concluded to get married. It was greatly 
opposed by my folks, in consequence of me being so 
young, and by my wife's father on the same account. 

My father urged me to finish some study and then 
marry; but all this was no use. I was completely in- 
saturated in love, and finally told father I would run 
away and get married, if he didn't give his consent. 
Finding our determination out, our parents both con- 
sented, and we were married, thirty-nine years ago last 
April. Our parents made no offer to assist us, waiting, 
as I understood afterwards, to. see what I was going to 
do. After a few days I went to a neighborhood ten 
miles off, and hired to keep school six months, which I 
did, giving great satisfaction. I had a large school, 
some seventy-five scholars, and all learned well. My em- 
ployers said it was worth more to them than all the 
schools they ever had before. 

During this summer the Indians made a break on the 
North settlement, killed seven or eight men, and burned 
them. The news came, and volunteers were called for, 
in a great hurry. I was on hand and anxious to go, but 
my employers told me I must stay and teach their chil- 



\i.\ ^ 




BBIGHAIC^S DBSTBOTIKO INOBL. 36 

dren. This was very grievous to me, it being the first 
chance I had to go to war. I reluctantly stayed. Some 
two hundred volunteers went, but found no Indians. 
The next winter a party of, I thiok, fifteen went on the 
sly, as they said, to beat Mr. Indian at his own game. 
They killed about a dozen, and all returned safe. 

At the expiration of my school, my father gave me a 
tract of land, prairie and timber joined together, with- 
out any improvements, furnished me with the necessary 
tools, and told me to go to work. I built a house, fenced 
a farm, and continued to improve as long as I stayed 
in Missouri. I had three hundred and twenty acres of 
land, when I sold to go to IlUnois, with good buildings 
n it. 

Some eight or ten months after I was married, I 
joined the Methodist Church, which my wife belonged 
to when we were married. I lived a quiet and religious 
life, making theology my principal study. I investi- 
gated every religious belief I had ever heard of, and 
among the balance Mormonism, which I had supposed 
was trivial and trashy, but soon found I was mistaken. 
I continued to investigate it for two years. I lived on 
the road which the Mormons traveled from Kirtland, 
Ohio, to western Missouri, and had almost daily oppor- 
tunities to talk with them. Being thoroughly convinced 
they were right, I joined them in the spring before they 
left Missouri. This was a great task for me. I had a 
good standing in society ; the Mormons were very much 
disliked by the Missourians, and there was much sorrow 
expressed by friends and relatives for my joining them. 



36 CONFESSION OP BILL HIOKMAi^. 

But I told them I was honest in my convictions, which 
was true. Nothing but salvation could have induced 
me to do so. The particulars of my conviction I could 
give, but do not deem it necessary to do so in this his- 
tory ; but suffice it to say there was no hypocrisy in me 
for so doing. My motives were pure, and my intentions 
good. Six months after the difficulties with the Mis- 
sourians and Mormons took place in western Missouri, 
I lived something over a hundred miles east of where 
the Mormons were, and knew nothing of that difficulty 
only what I heard from both sides. My opinion was 
then, and is yet, that the Mormons were greatly wronged 
and abused. But doubtless, from their own admissions 
to me. they had bad men among them, who committed 
some overt acts; but it was not a general thing, the 
most of them being quiet people. Tliis to some extent 
could be accounted for. The most of the western wilds 
had at least two-thirds of their population of those illit- 
erate, superstitious persons who had continued to keep 
on the frontier. This kind of people went en masse, 
carried elections, said what should be done, &c. 

I had some trouble before I got away, wJiich was thef 
first, I might say, in my life, but it was with a gang of 
roughs who sought a victory over a Mormon. We had 
a nice little brickbat combat, in which two out of five 
got badly bruised. I answered for this before the mag- 
istrate, but the complainants failed to attend, having 
received word from me that the ball woul'd open in a 
more serious way if they came there and swore to such 
things Bs they had to to obtain a warrant for me. 



BRIGHAM^S DESTROYING ANGEL. 37 

I sold my farm for a low figure, and left for Illinois. 
I saw much suffering and distress amongst those who 
were leaving Missouri: women and children barefooted 
and hungry ; but tlicse things were soon remedied. Our 
people were helped in Illinois, got work to do, and could" 
get anything they needed for it. I gave away as long 
as I had a dollar, to those sufferers. 

In April following I saw Joseph Smith for the first 
time, and had a long talk with him, and liked him well. 
I spent a year in Hancock County, and then went to 
Nauvoo and stayed another year ; then moved back in the 
countrv, and stayed until the spring of 1844. Going to 
Xauvoo frequently, I heard Smith preach several times. 
I considered his preaching Bible doctrine. Heard him 
speak of the United States Government several times, 
which he always did in the highest terms. I heard him 
say once in a public audience that the Constitution of 
the United States was a part of his religion, and a good 
part, too. He said we were a cried-down people, and 
misrepresented, but should there come war in his day, 
he would show to the people who was true and loyal to 
their Government.. Said he: "I would call on all the 
able-bodied men and go at their head, and the world 
should know what we could do.'^ 

Such assertions were often made by him. He said he 
was satisfied there yould be war in which the United 
States would be engaged, but he did not expect to live 
to see it. "Now," said he, "brethren and friends, if any 
of you have anything against me, come and tell me, and 
I will make it right; do not be bael^ard; come publicly 



38 CONFESSION OP BILL HICKMAIT. 

or privately and see if I don't satisfy you or anyone that 
has anything against me/' (What a difference between 
him and some who are now in his place.) In the spring 
of 1844 my wife and family went to Missouri to spend 
the summer with our relations, who had been anxious 
for us to move back ever since we left. 

During this summer, difficulty arose in and about 
N'auvoo. Mobs raised, and the State authorities were 
called to settle it, Governor Ford being at their head. 
The Smiths were arrested, and placed in Carthage jail, 
eighteen miles from Nauvoo, with a flimsy guard over 
them. Governor Ford went to Nauvoo on some pre- 
tense or other, I suppose no person knows what, and 
while he was there, a blacked mob of eighty men drove 
the guard off and killed Joseph and Hyrum Smith, l^o 
exerfions were ever made to arrest and bring to justice 
those mobocratic murderers.* I heard this while in 
Missouri, took my horse and went to Nauvoo, some one 
hundred and fifty miles; found everything as it had 
been told me, and the people in a sad-feeling state. 

In the fall Brigham Young assumed authority to the 
leadership of the Church, which seemed in part to quiet 
the people; but with many it was no go. They would 
say : "He is no prophet ; he was not called of God nor 
ordained by the prophet Joseph.'' I, being so thorough- 
ly convinced of the truth of Mormoysm, was willing to 
accept anything rather than say our system of things 
should fail. Things remained quiet until the next sum- 
mer, when mobism commenced again. The next thing 

*See Appendix — ^A. 



bbigham's destroying angel. 39 

was burning houses, bams, and grain, and haystacks of 
all Mormons living in the country around Nauvoo. The 
sheriff, not a Mormon, did all he could to prevent this, 
but it was of no use, the mob was too strong for him. 
He then called in a posse of Mormons to subdue those 
house-burners, and two of them were killed by the sher- 
iff's order when pursuing them after burning a house. 
Grain-stacks were set on fire in the night, and the own- 
ers shot by the light when coming to see what caused 
it. This ended in the fall of 1845. Late in 1844 I 
went to what was called Green Plains, some twenty 
miles below Nauvoo, to Col. Williams', who, I was told, 
commanded the blacked mob who killed the Smiths, part- 
ly by request of Brigham Young, and partly to satisfy 
myself as to the cause of their death. I stayed with 
him one night. He was very jealous of me when I first 
went to his house, supposing me to be a Mormon ; but 
I soon satisfied him I was from Missouri. I knew sev- 
eral of his relatives and friends who lived in the neigh- 
borhood I had just left, which soon dispersed all his 
suspicion, and a free conversation took place between 
us. He told me all about the Smiths being killed. I 
asked him what were the charges against them? He 
said they ruled the county, elected whom they pleased, 
and the old settlers had no chance; that it was the only 
way they could get ridjof them. After getting through, 
he said : ^TTow, Mr. Hickman, we don't pretend to jus- 
tify ourselves in what we have done ; we frequently talk 
about it, but what else could we have done? There are 
some bad men aiPongst them who do some stealings and 



40 CONFESSION OP BILL HICKMAN. 

it is almost impossible to catch them ; but many of them 
are good men. I have them for neighbors, and have had 
them hired to work for me, and they were good neigh- 
bors and industrious." I also learned from him that 
they had no intention of mob-raising again, which was 
what Brigham Young wanted to find out. I went to 
Warsaw and around the country generally, and got the 
general say-so of all that class of men ; returned to Nau- 
yoo and gave general satisfaction to Brigham Young, 
this being my first business with him and my first 
acquaintance personally. I became more personally 
acquainted with him afterwards, and soon became sat- 
isfied he was no such a man as Smith, and really came 
to the conclusion it was a curse sent on us, that we were 
not worthy to have so good a man as Smith to preside 
over us; but I contented myself on the grounds that 
it was the best I could do, and by following his counsel 
the Lord would bless us with another like Smith. 

In the fall and winter of 1846 there was much un- 
easiness amongst the people. They concluded to go 
West, and worked all winter making wagons, harness, 
and a general outfitting. The majority left, I think, in 
March, having organized previously in companies. I 
started with them in what was known as the Artillery 
^ Company. Colonel John Scott had that company in 
charge. We had four pieces of artillery, and some five 
hundred stands of small arms. Scott had four compa- 
nies in his division, I being first captain. After a hard 
and lasting journey, we arrived at Council Bluffs, where 
United States oflBcers came to our camp and made a call 



BRIGHAM^S DESTROYING ANGEL. 41 

for five hundred volunteers, which were raised and 
joined the United States army, then fighting Mexicans. 
I was sick and not able to go, from the effects of measles. 
I stayed at Council Bluffs until I was able to travel, 
then went back to N"auvoo to bring on the family and 
assist others. When I reached Nauvoo I heard that a' 
mob had taken Phineas Young and his son, and they 
could not be found ; but were heard of, sometimes in one 
place and then in another. We raised a company and 
ransacked the country for some ten days before we got 
them. They had not been mistreated, only by threats 
and exposure, having been kept in the woods. Immedi- 
ately after this, those ramparts of Illinois swore the 
Mormons should all leave forthwith. Nauvoo had at 
this time a majority of what was called new citizens, 
most of whom did not want the Mormons to leave until 
they could sell their property. Those had purchased 
property of the Mormons who had previously left. The 
mob commenced gathering southeast of the town, on 
what was known as Hunter^s farm. There was a com- 
mittee of twelve men then in the city, sent by the gov- 
ernor to investigate and see what was wrong. Satisfac- 
tion was given them on the part of the people of the city, 
and a party was sent to the governor. They did not 
return at the appointed time, and the balance went and 
did not return. The mob kept gathering, and the 
Mormons and N"ew Citizens (Gentiles) gathered and re- 
solved to withstand them. There were about two hun- 
dred in all that we could muster. Then skirmishing 
commenced on both sides, I should think that some six 



42 CONFESSION OP BILL HICKMAN. 

or seven hundred had gathered on the Hunter farm. 
We kept our guards out, and one day our picket was 
chased into the city near where our forces were. We 
enquired how many there were after them, and learned 
ahont eight. Captain William Cutler then made a selec- 
tion of four men, all mounted on the hest of horses, and 
went in pursuit. I was one of the party. We could not 
catch them, hut chased them into camp, stopping out of 
gunshot distance. We stood up in our saddles and gave 
them as hig a blackguarding as our. tongues could utter : 
but no move was made for us. We were there some fif- 
teen or twenty minutes between two sod fences — ^no 
show to cross, either — ^when we looked down the road 
and saw them getting on the fence behind us. We had 
to pass them or surrender. I began to think we had 
stayed a little too long. We started at full speed, and 
they mounted the fence as thick as blackbirds, I thought, 
crying, ^Tlalt ! halt I I^' But no halt ; we went through 
in a rain of bullets and no one hurt — one horse wounded. 
I had three cuts on my clothes. 

The next day they moved around on what was known 
as Laws farm, where they would have a fair sweep at 
the city, and commenced cannonading. The scattering 
families who then lived in the east part of the town 
moved to the flat on the river. We had no cannon, but 
cut into a steamboat* e shaft, plugged it up, fixed it up 
on wagon-wheels, hammered out balls of pig lead, which 
was plenty, and responded to the cannon-balls. This 
was the same size as their guns. They had three pieces, 
and we had two, which shot equally as strong as theirs. 




i iLL 



iJWi» 




""-aj 



>«^^*\,^> V 



1 / • ) 

44 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

but not SO accurate. This cannonading was kept up for 
several days, while their party continued to increase, and 
ours to decrease. Men left when they pleased, and came 
when they pleased. We had blockaded some of the 
streets which we expected them to cmne in on. I be- 
longed to a picket company, thirty of us, under Captain 
Anderson. They started for the city, and we were placed 
on the north, expecting them to come that way ; but tliey 
swung to the south of our breast-works. Captain Ander- 
son took his company just far enough in town to be 
under cover, and then marched us in front of not less 
than eight hundred men, who were keeping up a con- 
stant fire. But hei-e let me say that while making this 
swing we passed one of our cannons where one man lay 
dead, with his head almost shot off. A New Citizen, a 
Methodist preacher, had the charge of it. He loaded 
behind a brick house, and would then roll it out and 
fire. He had just got it out when we reached his stand. 
The good old Christian prayed God that it might take 
the desired effect. I could not keep from laughing to 
hear such a prayer from such a man under such circum- 
stances. Our company made breast-works of a brick 
house, log barn, and some large corn shocks, all close 
together, without being seen. .When the enemy got 
within one hundred and fifty yards of us, we opened 
fire on them, which called them to a halt — 'but didn't 
the balls come thick ! We thirty had about three hun- 
dred shots in repeating rifles, which we handled lively. 
Our captain was shot and fell dead at the commence- 
ment; of the fight. At this time the other companies 



BRIGHAM^S DESTROYING ANGEL. 45 

were playing on their right. About the time we had 
emptied all our shots and were ready to give way, fho 
mob commenced a retreat, which was quite acceptable. 
We remained under cover, and reloaded as fast as pos- 
sible. About that time we saw them coming again. 
They were halted as before and soon left, again going to 
their quarters. How many were killed I never learned. 
I had been anxious from a boy to be in a battle, but I 
assure you this fight took a great deal of starch out of 
me. My appetite for such fun has never been so crav- 
ing since. 

We saw our forces weakening, and knew eventually we 
should have to surrender ; so we sent a flag of truce with 
committee to settle in some way the existing war. 
Terms were agreed upon, which was that the Mormons 
must forthwith leave; that they must all come in town 
the next day, unmolested, and have any and all persons 
delivered up to them they wanted, some do7.en or so — U 
among the lot was myself. This was the first time 1 
began to be known. We thought we would cross the 
river that night and go westward; but the wind rose, 
and it was impossible. The others concluded to hide up 
another day, and then leave. I did not want to take 
chances in being found, so dressed myself in a number 
one suit of black broadcloth, fine boots, and kid gloves 
— a perfect disguise — and went to the ferry-boat; but 
just as I was leaving the shore I was recognized by one 
of their party. I was arrested, of course, and taken to 
prison to await the settling of other affairs, and then 
they would look into my case. I had sit feet of log- 



46 OOKFBBBIOK OF BILL HIOKICAK. 

cHain p^t on my leg, with a fifteen-poimd ball on the 
end of it, and was locked in behind two doors. 1 stayed 
a few days, and when the jailer came in one afternoon, 
I knocked him down, took his bowie-knife and cut the 
chain off my leg, took his pistols and left, and have not 
been back since, which was about twenty-five years ago. 
This was the only time I was ever in prison. I went 
west on Grand Eiver, in the southern part of Iowa. I 
had lost almost all my property, so I went to work, raised 
a good crop, made a horse-race or two, and by the next 
fall was able to go on to Council Bluffs. Brigham 
Young had been to Salt Lake with a pioneering party, 
and returned to what was known' then as winter quar- 
ters, now Florence, some eight miles from Council 
Bluffs, across the river. I met him and party who had 
come on our side of the river for the purpose of holding 
the Fall Conference. I had a pair of beautiful ponies, 
and Young wauted one of them for his son Joseph. 1 
gave it to him, keepiug my running one, which had 
made me several dollars before coming to that place. 
I made a race with a Potowatamie trader, for three yoke 
of oxen a side. It was opposed by my friends so strong- 
ly that I withdrew the stakes soon after. Brigham 
Young then sent for me; I soon learned he wanted my 
little race animal for his other son, Brigham, Jr. This 
went against the grain, I knowing he had no use for 
such an animal — ^that one worth one-fourth as much 
would do him as well, aud I told him so. "But,^^ said 
he, "if you keep her you will do wrong with her; you 
will be racing, and I want her.^' I could not refuse, 



bbiqham'b destbotino akcfbl. 47 

• 

beUeying^ as I did^ that he stood between God and 
His people^ and could invoke blessings or cursings at 
pleasure. 

The spring of 1848 rolled in. Young, Hyde, and 
others had some bitter enemies. One hall-breed Indian 
from some of the tribes south, well-educated, had been 
to Nauvoo, joined the Church, gone home and had come 
to Council Bluffs to see Brigham Young. Brigham had 
made him very mad, and he was swearing vengeance. 
He said he was well acquainted with the tribes west, and 
would be out ahead of him, collect them together, and 
scalp Brigham Young before he reached Jj'ort Laramie — 
that he would have a war-dance over his scalp in less 
than three months. Brigham Young's boys in winter 
quarters had got after him, but could not catch him, 
and he came on our side of the river. Brigham sent me 
word to look out for him. 1 found him, used him up, 
scalped him, and took his scalp to Brigham Young, say- 
ing: "Here is the scalp of the man who was gomg to 
have a war-dance over your scalp; you may now have 
one over his, if you wish.^^ He took it and thanked me 
very much. He said in all probability i had saved his 
life, and that some day he would make me a great man 
in the kingdom. This was my first act of violence under 
the rule of Brigham Y'oung. Soon after this, i was 
called upon to go for a notorious horse-thief, who had 
sworn to take the life of Orson Hyde, i socked him 
away, and made my report, which was very satisfactory. 
Hyde was well pleased, and said he knew I had saved 
his life. 



6 



48 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

In the spring of ^48, Brigham^s company started for 
Salt Lake, with, their families. I, in company with a 
number of others, crossed the Missouri Eiver and went 
thirty miles to Elkhom Eiver, to bid Brigham and party 
a good-bye. Brigham told me he wanted me to stop 
that year with Orson Hyde, as there were those around 
who might kill him. He wanted me to look out for him, 
and see that nobody hurt him. This was very satisfac- 
tory to Hyde. In about a month, Amasa Lyman, one 
of the Twelve, followed Brigham Young with another 
large company for Salt Lake. I had in the winter just 
previous to leaving Nauvoo taken me a second wife, 
whose father was going with this company, and she 
wanted to go with them. I sent her along, and when I 
reached Salt Lake next year was not surprised to find 
she had helped herself to a youngster a few days old. 
Believing her virtue to be easy long before this let me 
off. I never had any children by her. When bidding 
Brigham Young good-bye, in the spring of ^48, he 
said to Orson Hyde: "If Brother William wants to 
take him another wife, you attend to the marriage 
ceremonies.^^ 

In the fall of ^48, Orson Hyde got after a gang of 
counterfeiters, and put me on the track to ferret it out, 
if possible. Some of them were Mormons, some Gen- 
tiles, and some apostate Mormons, eight or ten alto- 
gether. They were making dollars and half-dollars ; had 
dies and a screw-press, and were making what was called 
a good article of bogus money. About this time, Orson 
Hyde started a paper called the Frontier Quardian, and 



* 

■ *• 



BRIGHAM^S DESTROTING ANGEL. 49 

was giving these fellows a tremendous blowing up. 
They threatened his life, some of them being of the des- 
perate kind. They also threatened to bum his print- 
ing office. Here was another Job for me — to watch the 
printing office. I would go into it after dark, at the 
back door, well armed. A party came one very dark 
night, and burst the front door open ; I fired two shots 
at random, but hit no one. This caused an abandonment 
of that project, but they were more enraged at him than 
f^^i ever. I threw myself in their company, and heard their 
threats, upon which I told them if they hurt a hair of 
his head, I would kill the last counterfeiter in the coun- 
try, and to pitch in as soon as they liked, and I would 
turn loose upon the first one I heard make a threat. 
This caused them to be quiet, and soon they began to 
be discountenanced by the people. I found a portion 
of their press, which was destroyed. This broke them 
up, and gave my friend, Orson Hyde, much relief of 
mind, he not having the nerve that a military general 
should have. He said I had again saved his life, which 
thing he often spoke of, and sometimes would preach 
it to his congregation. But when Brigham Young says 
the word, all the dogs howl, and this Hyde has not ven- 
tured to speak to me for a long time. 

During the summer of ^48 some Omaha Indians were 
crossing the river, and driving off the stock belonging 
to the people. They took the last animal belonging to 
several. We would go in search, but would find where 
they had crossed the river, which always ended pursuit. 
A boy in the town came in and told me he had seen two 



60 CONFESSION OP BILL HIOKMAN. 

Indians in the brush about a mile off. I took my pis- 
tol and knife, telling the boy not to tell anyone else, and 
went in search, crawling through the brush with all the 
quietness of a cat after a mouse. My object in telling 
the boy not to tell anyone else was to keep the people 
from making a rush, as they would frighten the Indians, 
and they would get away as before. Aftefr watching 
about an hour, I saw three Indians with ropes and bri- 
dles, and armed with bows and arrows. I took deliber- 
ate aim, having two in range; one fell, and one ran 
towards me, the third ran the other way. The one that 
ran towards me fell about three rods off. The ball had 
cut the back of his head, and made him crazy; but I was 
to him as he rose, and shot him dead. I took their bows, 
arrows, ropes, and bridles, and put them in a pile, went 
to town, told a few of my friends, who were well pleased, 
but thought we had best say nothing about it, as there 
might be some exceptions taken to it by United States 
agents. The Indians were left until night, and then 
buried. I worked hard that summer, building houses 
in the town known then as Kanesville. 

The next winter a Government contractor took about 
one thousand head of oxen forty miles north of us to 
winter on the rush bottoms of the Missouri River. Early 
in the spring this agent said a gang of thieves were steal- 
ing his cattle, and scattering them over the country, 
altering the U. S. brand on them, and killing some. He 
came to Kanesville, got a writ, deputized a man and 
posse of four to go and arrest them. They returned 



bbighah's destroying anoel. 51 

whipped out, and no prisoners, upon which this agent 
went to see Orson Hyde, and asked him if he had not 
men who could and would arrest this party. I was sent 
for, and introduced to this agent, who I found to be a 
"clever man and a gentleman. He filled my pocket with 
money, sapng: ^^60 it, my man, and fetch the rascals^ 
md I will see that you get many a dollar for it.^' 

Next morning I started with my one man, a good 
one, too. We were well armed. I got within a few 
miles of their place, stayed that night, and next morn- 
ing we were upon them early. There were four guns 
drawn on us with the word to stand. I looked in their 
eyes, and did not see a shoot in them. It was all bluff. 
We drew up our guns and ordered an immediate sur- 
render, or we would turn loose on them. They came to 
time, and we arrested four. We went to another place, 
and got two. One of them had strong indications of 
shooting. I tied his hands behind him, summoned an- 
other man, and returned with the six prisoners amid 
shouts. I assisted this man in getting his scattered and 
stolen stock, for which he paid me roundly, which en- 
abled me to have a good and sufficient outfit for Salt 
Lake, where I was intending to go that spring. I com- 
menced getting ready; gathered up, and crossed the 
river in company with a few other families, to await the 
starting of the first Mormon train, not forgetting the 
liberty given to me by Brigham Young to get another 
wife, which I did. She was a good, industrious woman, 
kind-hearted and agreeable: her mother was dead, and 
her father and only brother were in the Mexican War. 



52 OONFESSION OF BILL HIOEMAK. 

I brought her across the plains, and found her father 
and brother in Salt Lake, glad to meet her. 

While laying on the west side of the river, Orson Hyde 
sent for me. I got to Kanesville in the afternoon, and 
found a horse saddled, and four men waiting for me 
with horses also. I learned that twelve or fifteen Indi- 
ans were then in the brush some five miles off. Orson 
Hyde gave us our instructions, and told us to be sure 
they did not all get back across the river. We struck 
out, following our guide, learned where the Indians 
were, and made a descent on them. The Indian I went 
for turned two arrows loose at me. I shot him down, 
and made a dash for another, shot him down, whirled 
to see what the other boys were doing, and found them 
whipping two Indians. They had not fired a shot. I 
concluded I had done my part, and stopped. Our report 
was all satisfactory. I started before day to our camp 
across the Missouri Eiver, and that day got word from 
Orson Hyde to roll out with some California train at 
once, for h — 11 was popping about those Indians that 
were killed on a United States reserve. We rolled out 
that evening twelve miles, and fell in with Colonel Com^ 
walFs train, bound for the California gold-mines, from 
Illinois, who willingly accepted our company. I found 
him a gentleman; we had a good time on the plains, 
and a big dance with the Mormon girls when we reached 
Salt Lake. He was an old Indian-fighter; had com- 
manded an expedition agai^jst the well-known warrior 
Black Hawk, in ^32, and had slain many of them. The 
Colonel TFent on to California that fall. We got into 



64 CONFESSION OP BILL HICKMAN. 

Salt Lake August 20, '49. The Colonel has made sev- 
eral trips across the plains since, taking stock to Cali- 
fornia. He always called and spent a few days with me, 
and we never failed to have a good time. 

We found plenty of game on the plains, such as buf- 
falo and antelope. I was appointed one of the hunters 
for the company, which thing I enjoyed very much. I 
got laughed at one day for ^ving a jack-rabbit a chase, 
thinking it was a young antelope, it having started out 
from a band of them. It was the first one I had ever 
seen, and I thought it very strange that the young ones 
could outrun the grown ones. 

Some few days after this, another hunter and myself 
left the train for a hunt, and were to meet it at night. 
We traveled ten or fifteen miles before we found any 
buffalo. We killed one, a fine fat cow, took on our horses 
about one hundred pounds each, and started for camp. 
We had not traveled more than three miles when we saw 
some forty or fifty Indians, to all appearances trying 
to get in ahead of us. We guessed their intention, cut 
our meat loose, and lit out for camp, at least fifteen 
miles off. We were far back in the sand-hills, a dreary- 
looking place. The Indians all held up but six, who 
put their ponies down to their best. We outran them 
for awhile, and then held our own for awhile, when my 
friend^s horse, although a good one, was failing. I had 
a nail-driver, very swift, and no end to his bottom. I 
fell back as though my horse had failed. Five of the 
six halted their gait, and one came at full speed for me. 
I waited until the Indian was within two hundred yards 



bbigham's destroying anoel. 55 

of me, ran my horse around a mound and dismounted. 
I was not more than ready for him when he came in 
sight, not more than fifty steps off: I turned my old 
yauger loose, and h^ fell, holding his horse by the bridle. 
I mounted, rode 'out and saw the other Indians were in 
a short distance. I wanted the pony (he was pretty, and 
speckled as a bird), but was in too much of a hurry to 
get him. I started for my comrade, who was by this 
time a mile ahead. My horse carried me off at almost 
lightning speed. I kept a good lookout behind, but they 
came no farther than where I shot the Indian. This 
was a caution for us not to be caught so far from home, 
which caution we accepted of for the balance of the trip. 



CHAPTEE III. 
FEOM 1850 TO 1854. 

FIRST YEAR IN UTAH — ^PIRST INDIAN WAR — ^LIEUT. J. W. 
GUNNISON — ^A SERIOUS DEFEAT — ABETTER COUNSELS — 
A VICTORY — ^A BRAVE MILITIA OFFICER ( ?) — ^A BATTLE 
ON THE ICE — ^MASSACRE OF INDIANS — TAKING THE 
HEAD OF BIG ELK — HICKMAN GOES TO CALIFORNIA — 
CHOSEN CAPTAIN OP THE TRAIN — ^INDIAN MASSACRE 
AND MORE FIGHTING — ^A MURDER AND LYNCH LAW 
EXECUTION — TROUBLE IN UTAH AND RETURN OF HICK- 
MAN — ^MURDER OF IKE HATCH — ^KILLING THE HORSE- 
THIEF — ^KILLING OF IKE VAUGHN — ^FIGHT BETWEEN 
THE MORMONS AND GREEN RIVER FERRYMEN — ^HICK- 
MAN KILLS ANOTHER HORSE-THIEF — CRUELTY OF 
ORSON HYDE — ^DASTARDLY MURDER OF HARTLEY — 
COMMENTS. 

After arriving in Salt Lake, I stopped a few days 
with one of my friends, then located the place ten miles 
south of the city, where I lived until five years ago. I 
went to work, and worked hard until in the winter. 

At this time there was only two settlements in the 

valley south ; the first was on American Fork, a stream 

• 

some two or three rods wide, emptying into Utah Lake. 
The next was a settlement on Provo Eiver, fifteen miles 
further south, some three miles from Utah Lake, This 



brigham's destroying angel. 57 

river was claimed by a strong band of Indians. These 
Utah Indians went by different names, such as Timpa- 
TJtes, Pi-TJtes, Yampa-TJtes and Gosh-Utes, each having 
its Chief, fishing and hunting grounds, &c., which they 
claimed as their own; but in reality they were all the 
same tribe, spoke the same language, and would hunt and 
fish on each other^s lands, as a general thing, unmolested. 
Sometimes these different bands would have diflBculty; 
but in war with the whites they were all united. 

This Provo band was considered very brave, having 
held that river for a long time. The Mormons got per- 
mission of them to settle there, and made them presents, 
and they were glad to have them come and raise grain. 
They petted and humored the Indians too much, and this 
winter they began to do as they pleased. They first com- 
menced stealing their horses and cattle, and seeing they 
were not chastised for it, would take cattle or anything 
they wanted, and deliberately drive it off at any time, 
sajdng to the people, ^^ou are all petticoats, and wont 
fight.^^ This continued until in February, when they 
commenced shooting at the people if they tried to 
hinder them from taking anything they wanted. The 
people called for help from Salt Lake, and one hun- 
dred and fifty men were soon raised under charge of 
George Grant, to go and give them a clearing out. 
Among this company was Capt. W. H. Kimball, Adju- 
tant Gen. Ferguson and the lamiented Captain Gunnison, 
who was wintering in Salt Lake, with a Government par- 
ty of topographical engineers under Colonel Stansbury. 
This military clever gentlemaji volunteered his services, 



68 CONFESSION OF BILL HIOEMAN. 

and went with us. So did the Surgeon of that United 
States party, and a few others. The Captain was never 
behind, always showing skill and bravery. I became 
very much attached to him, and he was well liked by all 
as far as I knew. About 9 p. m. we got to the settlement 
at Provo, which was two or three miles west of where the 
city of Provo now is. I was sent ahead in charge of the 
advance guard. 

All was quiet, and we got through their half fortified 
place without the Indians knowing of us, and made the 
necessary arrangements for quarters, forage and supper. 
I was sent for, and found a council of war was called, 
the object of which was to fix the modus operandi of an 
attack on the Indians the next morning, which were 
about three miles above us on the river, in thick brush 
and heavy cottonwood timber. Officers were appointed, 
and companies formed, aU satisfactory, and then a dis- 
play of talent from the new and highminded officers 
ensued. 

The canteen passed around frequently, which inspired 
their minds, and made assurance of an early victory next 
morning. I was silent till Colonel Grant turned to me 
and said, "Well, Captain Bill, what have you got to say ? 
I have not heard a word from you.^^ 

I told him I did not like any of their plans. I reas- 
oned on the Indian mode of fighting, that they would re- 
sort to all sorts of stratagem and advantage, and in that 
light we should look at them, and against such move- 
ments lay our plans, which I had not heard proposed by 
any of his staff. I made a few more suggestions and 



bbigham's' destroying angel. 59 

stopped. The canteen passed again, and when it came 
my turn the Colonel said: '*Bill, take a good one; you 
must be down at the heel/' I drank a success for the 
morrow, after which the Colonel arose, gave orders that 
the cannon which we had taken with us, should be placed 
above on the south side of the river, that two small com- 
panies should be placed on the north side above and one 
below, and I should make a selection of twenty horsemen, 
with good horses, sabres and pistols ; that those compa- 
nies north, east and west, should charge on the camp 
(now this camp was supposed to contain one hundred 
warriors), and drive them out into fair ground, where I 
could, with my company, charge upon and chop them up. 

I went to my quarters, studying whether it was the 
want of brains or too much canteen that had caused 
such plans. But, thought I to myself, if it suits you I 
am satisfied. 

All set and off in the morning as per order. One of 
my men asked me as we were going to the field of battle, 
what I thought of their running the Indians out of the 
brush for us to kiU. I told him I would agree to eat all 
the Indians we got a chance to kill that day. All reach- 
ed their posts about nine o'clock. The sound of mus- 
ketry was heard, and the roar of cannon, which was kept 
up all day. Occasionally we would see them packing off 
a dead or wounded man, but no Indians for us. The sun 
was about an hour and a half high, when I made a rush 
with my company of cavalry within a hundred yards of 
the Indian camp without orders, fired into them, wheel- 



60 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

ed and left for our place. Several balls whistled amongst 
us, but nobody was hurt. 

Soon after this tlie bugle sounded a retreat, and the 
Indians set up such a yell of victory that one would 
think ten thousand devils had been turned loose. We 
went back to our quarters. Officers and men looked sad. 
Some of our men were killed, and some wounded. Sup- 
per being over, I was sent for again. I went in and 
looked around, but did not see a big feeling man amongst 
them. I felt rather tickled to see the contrast between 
that and the night before. 

After talking over all that had transpired that day, I 
was the first one asked to say what should be done the 
next day. I told them that my plan of strategy and sur- 
prise would not work now, as the Indians knew we meant 
fight in earnest; that I saw no other way than to selert 
the best Captains, and let them pick their companies, 
and take the brush, crawl up within gun shot, and play 
upon, them, while the Colonel would be where he could 
see what was going on, and at any time in the afternoon 
that he thought fit, sound a charge on which a general 
rush was to be made to wind up the fight. 

My plan was adopted without any opposition, and I 
was chosen for one of those brush Captains, and placed 
on the north, where the hottest fire had come from the 
day before. I got my men within eighty yards of their 
camp without being seen, and poured a volley of shots 
in amongst them, which made a great scattering and hid- 
ing. We got under cover of brush and banks, and when- 
ever an Indij^n showed himself we would turn Igose ou 



62 OONFESSION OF BILL HIOKKAN. 

him. In this position we lay all day, in snow fifteen 
'inches deep, but I never heard a man complain of being 
cold. The companies played upon them above and be- 
low. Capt. Kimball from in front, or rather from the 
south, made a rush to take a log house within gun shot 
of them, in which he had his horse shot dead under him. 
Kimball was both brave and venturesome. 

Captain Conover, who had charge of the Company 
above me in the afternoon, laughingly asked me if my 
men were all there; I told him I thought so. He said I 
must be mistaken, and asked me if I had had any killed. 
I told him no; upon which he said : "One of your men is 
dead, the one that wore that tall haf I looked around, 
and that one was gone. The Captain laughed again, 
sajdng: "He is dead. When I saw you bringing your 
men into position, I saw him stop about one hundred 
yards behind in a bunch of brush. The Indians saw 
him, and commenced shooting at him, when he left and 
ran close to me. I called to him to stop, but could not 
get him to halt, and saw him jump through the fork of 
a tree twelve feet high, and know he broke his neck be- 
fore he stopped.^^ Poor fellow ; he luckily escaped, and 
was as brave a man as I had at the supper table. 

This brave soldier is now one of the Colonels of the 
Utah militia, and expects to whip the United States 
when Brigham gives the word. Such men should be 
greatly feared, lest they get scared, and sure enough 
break their necks. 

There was no charge sounded, but we knew we had 
done good execution that day. The Indians made a la- 



brigham's destroyikg angel. 63 

mentable yell until the bugle sounded a retreat, then all 
was still. No shouts of victory or Indian yells were 
heard that evening. All went to quarters. Two days of 
fighting, and that breakfast spell of Indians not wiped 
'>ut yet. 

The next day was Sunday, and fighting was suspended. 
In the afternoon the Colonel took some fifty men, me 
with them, to ride around the Indian camp, and see how 
things looked. After some time I was satisfied there 
were no Indians there. I told the Colonel so, and urged 
him to make a charge on the camp, as there was plenty 
of us to use them up aayhow. He was not in favor of 
it. I fell behind, and when a good opportunity offered, 
made a dash through their cajnp ; saw some children and 
some wounded ; rode around quickly and out again, and 
called to the Colonel. He said they might be in ambush. 
Then James Hirons, as brave a man as I ever was with, 
came to me, and we dashed in again, and around, and 
then called to the company, who rushed in and found the 
Indians were gone. 

The dead and wounded lay thick, only half-a-dozen 
sick children were left. Everything was burned, and we 
took with us the children, who were well taken care of. 
The next day we found the remainder had gone to the 
mountaias, the snow being very deep there. We placed a 
guard at the mouth of the canon, and went in search of 
other portions of the tribe in the south end of the valley. 
I was sent with a party of six to spy out the situation of 
the Indians on Spanish Fork, twelve miles south. We 
found the Indians encamped in the brush on the creek, 



64 OONPESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

and fifty or sixty head of horses feeding on fair ground 
close by. On our arrival in sight some of the Indians 
rushed out and drove their horses into the brush. On 
our return conversation was about the number of In- 
dians we had seen. Some said thirty, some forty, and 
some sixty. I was riding with Captain Cams, a fine, 
clever old Dutchman, "ell,^^ said he, ^^illiam, how 
many do you say we saw.^^ I told him twelve, for I had 
counted them; I mention this to show you how things 
multiply to persons when fear and excitement have pos- 
session of the inexperienced, such as these. 

On the next day we marched for them, but on search, 
found a trail where they had left for the Utah Lake, 
some twelve or fifteen miles west. While searching I 
accidently spied an Indian in the brush, in all probabil- 
ity left as a rear guard. I rushed towards him; he shot 
two or three arrows at me, and wheeled to run. I shot 
at him, which made him bound through the brush, tear- 
ing off his quiver of arrows, but did not hit him. 

Here I must stop and tell a story of my outfitting be- 
fore leaving Salt Lake. One of the old fathers, sixty- 
five or seventy years of age, came and brought me his 
old-fashioned broad sword, asking me if I would accept 
it on this trip. I told him I would, and thank him, too; 
upon which the old man said : "May God bless and pre- 
serve you, and may I have the pleasure of cleaning it on 
your retum.^^ The Indian was scared by my pursuit, 
and going through the brush had about one hundred 
yards of a clear place to pass. I crowded my horse at his 
full strength through the brush, just keeping in sight of 



brigham's destroying akgel. 66 

the Indian ; but I thought of the request of the old man 
to clean his sword on my return, so I drew it, and before 
he got through the open space overtook him and made a 
heavy back-handed cut on his head. He fell, and I 
jumped off my horse and ran the sword through him, 
putting it up without wiping : 

We then struck on the Indian trail, found them at 
dark encamped on the lake near the head. Qeneral 
Daniel H. Wells had just come to us on the Indian trail. 
He was Commander-in-Chief. He stationed guards 
around the Indian camp in order to prevent their escape 
during the night. This was a bitter cold night on the 
Lake shore — snow on the ground, and the wind blowing 
a gale. We had had no dinner, had no supper, no blan- 
kets, and nothing but sage-bmsh to make fires, and even 
that was scarce and small. The body of the men camped 
or rather stopped below, and took turns pulling this 
brush, which kept them from freezing. 

I was placed above on the Lake shore with Lot Smith 
and John Little, Jr., who would take turns going to the 
fire, leaving one with me all the time. My orders were 
to stay until relieved. I walked my post and kept from 
freezing with much ado. 

As soon as it got light I got orders at the sound of the 
bugle to charge their camp, and strange to say, I was 
alone when the charge was sounded. I ran up on the 
beach in order to give me a fair view of what was or 
would be going on. Firing commenced, and I saw an In- 
dian coming towards me unnoticed by the company. I 
got behind a bush and waited until he was within eight 



66 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

feet of me, when I shot him dead, ran for the battle, and 
saw an Indian start on the ice. I ran him some thi'ee or 
four hundred yards, got within fifty steps of him and 
downed him, returned, and the battle was ended. Pour- 
teen Indians lay almost in a pile. Some twenty odd were 
killed in all. General Wells started a party of fourteen 
of our men up the Lake bench to see if there was any 
more Indians near by. We had not gone more than two 
miles when we saw five Indians coming down the Lake 
shore on horseback, on the edge of the ice, which was 
about two feet thick, with a little snow on it. They 
turned back, and we after them. Here was a nice chase, 
but as usual, only three or four of us had horses fast 
enough to catch the Indians. I shot the first, Lot Smith 
the next, and I the next, who came near falling oflE his 
horse, but recovered. The savages were shooting back at 
us with rifles and arrows whenever we got close to them. 
Lot was a brave man ; whenever he emptied his gun he 
would get another and pitch in again. These guns were 
willingly handed him by those cautious fellows behind, 
and he emptied some half-dozen of them. I had a .slide 
rifle; six shots in a slide, and three slides, making eigh- 
teen shots on hand. Lot shot at an Indian whose horse 
had fell on the ice and broke his gun, but he kept trying 
to shoot. We halted and gave him six or eight shots be- 
fore he fell. One Indian alone was on his horse wound- 
ed, and I saw Lieut. E. T. Burton make a dash for him. 
He had a good horse, and I thought it no use to go any 
further, as Burton would be sure to get him. I watched 
him and saw him shoot oflE his pistols at the Indian 



brigham's destroying angel. 67 

when two or three hundred yards from him, and turn 
back. I mounted my horse, a good one, too, and crowded 
him for the Indian, who by this time was a mile ahead. 
He left the Lake and started across the bench for the 
mountains. I dismounted, took good aim at him, and 
fired ; he fell, then rose and climbed over some rocks. I 
shot at him again, when he left his horse, went up the 
mountain about a hundred yards and fell dead. 

I went to camp, and we had provisions sent to us, 
which were very acceptable, as we had had nothing to eat 
since breakfast the day before. We scouted the country 
a few days and went to Provo to go up the canon and 
wind up the war. Two companies were sent up the 
canon, one under Captain Lameraux, and one under 
Captain Little. I was sent ahead as a spy with Mr. 
Hirons, of whom I have already spoken. We proceeded 
up the canon some two or three miles, occasionally going 
up the side of the mountain so we could get a fair view 
of things ahead. We did not see anything for some time, 
when all at once we looked below and saw the Indians in 
a ravine not a hundred yards off. We had reached this 
place under cover, saw the Indian spies looking down the 
canon, and knew from all appearances we had not been 
seen. "What shall we do?" said Hirons. I answered, 
^^e will give them a shot apiece, and if they don't run, 
we will.^' "Pick your man so we won't both shoot at the 
same Indian,'' said he. We lay snug behind the rocks; 
the word was given by him, and we both fired, fetching 
our men. The Indians broke, and we fired again, but I 
do not think we hit any, as they were running. We 



68 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

« 

threw ourselves in sight, and waived our handkerchiefs 
for the companies to come on. As far as we could see the 
Indians were running up the canon. 

We went down to see the Indians we had shot. Hirons 
told me I had killed the chief, Big Elk. I took off his 
head, for I had heard the old jnountaineer, Jim Bridger, 
say he would give a hundred dollars for it. I tied it in 
his blanket and laid it on a flat rock ; hid his gun and 
bow and arrows, forty-two number one good arrows, and 
awaited the arrival of the company. The reason I hid the 
above named articles was because I had tried to get some 
arrows or some relic to take home with me, from several 
of those cautions fellows who were great warriors, but 
not one could I get; they had all been taken by them to 
take home to show what victories they had achieved. 

The companies soon came up, when we attacked and 
killed nearly all the Indians. We took about fifty 
women and children prisoners. When I came to where 
I had killed the chief, I had to laugh. Those rear fel- 
lows who had been in the habit of picking up everjrthing, 
had untied the blanket that was around the chief's head, 
but on seeing what it contained left it untied with the 
head sitting in the middle of it, entirely untouched. I 
took the head, gun, bow and arrows, mounted my horse, 
took a pretty spuaw behind me and a sick pappoose in 
front, and was off for our quarters. 

This wound up the Indian war of '49, so called, al- 
though it was in the spring of '50. We took the prison- 
ers to the city, and distributed them among the people. 
The warriors were all killed but seven or eight, and the 



)f / m^%f 




70 CONFESSION OP BILL HICKMAN. 

next spring all the prisoners that wanted to went to ad- 
joining tribes. 

All was peace and no Indian troubles for three years 
after this. I went to work on my farm, fencing and 
building, but had poor luck. Did not get the water out 
of the river so as to irrigate it in time. The California 
immigration began to come in. I had that spring pur- 
chased a few Indian ponies, and had them fat, just what 
the emigrants wanted. I spent the summer trading and 
herding stock. I herded the stock belonging to the 
Church and Brigham Young. I delivered them all to 
Brigham in the fall, having lost none, and charged him 
nothing. The bill should have been over one hundred 
dollars, but I made a good summer^s trade and built 
more houses. In the fall I got my leg broke by a horse 
falling on it, and was lame for eight or ten months. 

In the winter, Brigham Young saw me with a fine bay 
horse I had traded for that summer, and wanted him. I 
gave the horse to him. 

I got the gold fever, and went to California in the fall 
of ^51. Left Salt Lake in August, and went to Bear 
Eiver north, on the California Eoad, where there were 
some emigrants organizing, and awaiting to get a good 
company, as the Indians had been very bad that year, 
killing sometimes an entire train. A few Mormon boys 
went, five I think. This was the last train that went 
through that year. It was composed of people from 
Missouri and Illinois, and Mormons, with two South 
Carolinians, making in all 42 men, six of them having 
their families along. Some had horses^ some mules^ and 



beigham's destroying angel. 71 

some ox teams, with a few head of loose cattle, and a 
dozen loose horses, but not one good riding horsa We 
all got together to organize for a start. When the meet- 
ing was called I was astonished to hear myself nomina- 
ted for captain, as I was not acquainted with ten men in 
the company. I got up and objected, but this was of no 
use; they said that they had heard of me, those who did 
not know me, and had made up their minds to have me 
for their Captain; that we had to go through a country 
full of bad Indians, and they knew from what they had 
heard that I knew more about them than any other per- 
son in the company, and I had to accept. 

I found I had a first rate set of fellows, several of 
whom had served in the Mexican war, and served in sev- 
eral battles, and one of Kit Carson's old Indian fighters^ 
some old fanners from the States with their families, 
and, taken all together, a company that would be an 
honor to aay man. The twentieth of August we started. 
The next company ahead of us had been gone two weeks, 
had horse and mule teams, and sixty-four men in the 
company. 

All moved ofiE nicely, until we got about four hundred 
miles on our road, and were traveling down the Hum- 
boldt Eiver. There we began to see where wagons had 
been burned, and also skeletons of men, women and 
children, their long and beautiful hair hanging on the 
brush ; and sometimes a head with as beautiful locks of 
hair as I ever saw, and sometimes those of little children, 
with two or three inches of flaky hair, either lying by or 
near them, the wolves having eaten the flesh off their 



72 CONFESSION OP BILL HICKMAN. 

bones. But all the bodies of the men, women and chil- 
dren that were found had a portion of the skin taken off 
the tops of their heads. They had all been scalped, and 
the savages, in all probability, as we talked of it, were 
then in the mountains having war-dances with the 
whoops and yells of demons, over these scalps of hon- 
esty and innocence. 

Some of the boys began to get terribly riled up, and 
wanted to stop and hunt the Indians. Our train trav- 
eled snugly together and camped on clear ground, tying 
our horses at night, and corraling our cattle, always 
keeping out a strong guard. About this time we met 
the train coming back that had started ahead of us, 
having fought the Indians several days, lost nearly half 
of their stock, and twelve or thirteen of their men. 
They advised us to turn back, assuring us there was no 
show to get through. We thought differently, and some 
of the boys laughed at them. Finding out we were 
determined they turned to go with us, but told us they 
had traveled and fought Indians all day only three days 
before. As we journeyed, with the new company in our 
rear, all at once there was a dash, a hoot and a yell from 
the brush about three hundred yards off. The train 
was halted; twenty-five of my men in less than a min- 
ute had their guns, about half of us mounted our horses, 
the balance on foot, and instead of waiting for them 
to circle and fight we went for them, telling at the same 
time the other company to remain still ajid take care of 
the teams. 

The Indians had made no arrangements for a retreat, 



BRIGHAM^S DESTROTINa ANGEL. 73 

but ran into the willow brush on the river, which was 
fordable anywhere, and after them we went. They took 
a fright like a gang of wild antelopes, and ran in all 
directions. We popped them right and left until all 
were out of sight. I flew around on my horse to see the 
boys, fearing I had lost some of them, but all were safe. 
Two were slightly wounded. All swore they would scalp 
the Indians, and have a war-dance over their scalps. I 
told them to do as they pleased. They got thirty-two 
scalps off of the Indians killed on the ground, and what 
gave my inen increased anger, one of the Indians was 
found with the scalps of two women, cured and dried, 
and another had the scalp of a child, I should think not 
more than three or four years of age. I need not tell 
you — ^you may guess the feeling that existed. 

We all had a great war-dance that night. Our friends 
from the company behind us came over and declared 
positively they had never seen such men before; said it 
was a wonder we were not all killed, and declared they 
saw one hundred and fifty Indians. The boys seemed 
easy for a day or two, but on finding another quantity 
of bodies became anxious for another fight. 

We traveled quietly for probably one hundred miles, 
when four Indians were seen crawling through the sage 
brush towards our stock; we went for and got them; 
killed and scalped them. We were now getting toward 
the sink of the Humboldt, and began to see a great many 
fresh Indian tracks. The next day they seemed to be 
gathering in from all directions to about the place we 
intended camping. The sun was about two hours high 



74 OONPESSION OP BILL HICKMAlT. 

when we discovered them on the bench, and in the wil- 
low brush on the opposite side of the river. I kept the 
train moving until we got into a low place out of their 
sight, when, we halted, and the men got their guns and 
mounted in short notice. We had twenty-six men ready. 
I wanted the company behind to take hand in the fight, 
but the boys would not agree to it. 

We got within gun shot of the Indians before they 
saw us. The boys made a rush on them, shooting, hoot- 
ing, and yelling in such a manner that they all took 
fright before firing a gun or shooting an arrow. The 
boys dashed into the brush, keeping up a constant firing, 
and the Indians rose around us as thick almost as a ' 
gang of feheep. I never saw the like. They took down 
the river into large and thick brush. I saw up the hill, 
about a mile off, one of my men after an Indian. He 
shot at him, wheeled his horse, and started back. I 
had just emptied one slide of my gun, six loads, oud 
had no other slide with me. One of my men had a 
good rifle, which I took and started at full speed over 
the sage brush, met the man and asked him what was 
the matter. He said he had shot off his gun and both 
pistols, and had no more amiaimition with him. In 
about two miles I overtook the Indian. He had go'' 
close to the mountain, and had two arrows left, whicl 
he turned loose at me. One of them cut my coat collar. 
I saw he had no more, rode within a rod of him, and 
bursted a cap at him. I then made a drive for him on 
my horse. He was the largest Indian I ever saw, and 
ran like a scared wolf. I caught my gun by the breech„ 



BRIGHAM'S DBSTEOYINa ANGEL. 75 

ran on him and struck him over the head with -such a 
force I broke the gun off at the breech. The barrel fell 
some ten feet off, and the Indian in front of me, and 
my horse fell over him. I lit on my feet, jumped and 
caught up the gun-barrel, and wheeled for the Indian. 
He waB getting up when I hit him again over the head, 
killing him instantly, the blow bending the heavy bar- 
rel four inches. I jerked off his scalp and went back 
as fast as my horse could carry me. 

On the bluff of the river sat Doc. Eipley on his horse, 
over an Indian he said he had killed. Said he to me: 
"Captain, take off his scalp for me, as your hands are 
bloody. I am not spleeny about such things. I have 
cut up many a dead person in the dissecting rooms.'^ 
I dismounted, caught him by the top of his head, and 
as soon as I began to cut, he jumped straight on his 
feet. I stabbed him with my knife a few times, which 
soon ended him; 

On examination we found he was only shot through 
the flesh of the arm. We counted forty-six killed. Two 
of our men got shot in the legg, and one in the thumb. 
All got well by the time we got to California. After 
this we traveled unmolested. 

When we got on Carson Eiver, a lamentable circum- 
stance took place. The Kit Carson man got killed. He 
was the best man I had. His name was John Watson. 
He was killed by the worst man I had, a man who was 
said to be running away from Missouri for murdering 
a man there. They had a quarrel, and this man imder- 
took to shoot Watson, but would have got killed if I 



76 CONFESSION OP BILL HIOKMAK. 

had not interfered. Watson came to me and told me 
he knew the man intended killing him, and thought it 
hard I would not let him shoot him. I then went and 
talked to the man, and he promised faithfully he would 
not touch Watsoir. I told Watson there was no dan- 
ger. He thought different, but said he would be quiet, 
and not another word passed between them. That even- 
ing Watson was lying on his blankets, sleeping, when 
this man, Hensley, went and put his pistol to his head 
and blew out his brains. 

I was then out after the horses. When I came to 
camp he was walking around with four pistols on his 
belt, swearing there was not men enough in camp to 
take him, and if they undertook it he could kill half a 
dozen. I thought of taking my gun and shooting him 
down, but thought of my position, sat down at my 
camp-fire and said nothing, but thought there was tim^e 
enough to have him attended to, knowing there was no 
show for him to get away. 

The next morning we made a cofiin of a wagon-box, 
and buried Watson in a military 6tyle, firing thirty shots 
over his grave. Now I will here say this man Hensley 
in an Indian fight was not brave, but always behind in 
dangerous places; although from report he had killed 
several men before this. I told the boys we would af- 
tend to him that evening. We wanted to move on about 
ten miles to get good feed for our animals. The camp, 
which had been almost universally lively and full of 
fun, moved off with a dismal look, not a cheerful coun- 
tenance to be seen. It seemed as if all had lost a brother. 



78 CONFESSIOK OP BILL HIOKMAN. 

and indeed it was almost so. Watson's piercing eye had 
passed nothing unnoticed in our travels. He was al- 
ways ahead when a fight was on hand, and when in 
camp would amuse the boys by telling his adventures 
with Kit Carson, his hunting and Indian stories, nar- 
row escapes and big victories, which was done in such 
a hearty, plain, and sociable manner that everybody 
liked him. 

We moved on, found good grass, and encamped, and 
soon a company of sixteen men came on the same flat, 
from California, and encamped below us. I went and 
found their captain, a man I had known in Illinois. 
He had been in California two years, and was going 
back on the forty-mile sand desert, which we had 7^st 
crossed, for wagons that had been left thera I got a 
good drink of brandy, and then told him of the cireum- 
stance that had happened in our camp. He and all his 
men shouted : "Hang him up. Why have you not done 
it before? We have to do it in this country and in Cal- 
ifornia in the absence of law. If he had done such a 
deed in T;he mines, where you are going, he would have 
been hung in less than three hours.*' 

I invited the captain to come up after dark, and 
bring half a dozen of his best men with him, stating 
that I would have him arrested, and we would investi- 
gate the case. I selected four of my best men, told 
them to get as close to him as they could, and then 
bounce upon him. I watched, and he did not appear to 
notice until one of them got in about ten feet of him, 
when he straightened up, put his hand on a pistol, but 



bhigham's destroying akgbl. 79 

had no time to draw it before all four of my men had 
him tight, and he was soon tied. Supper being over, 
the captain of the California company, with six men, 
came into camp. I called my company together and 
took a vote of the company to see what was their wish. 
All voted for a trial. I then appointed a judge and 
three jurymen, and the California captain appointed 
three of his men as jurymen, to hear the case. I stated 
that I would appoint this California captain to prose- 
cute the case, and the prisoner might choose one or two 
to assist him. I took a vote on this, and it was unani- 
mously agreed to. The prisoner got his counsel. 

The judge and jury were seated, all things went ofiE 
smoothly, and no evidence was denied. When through, 
the prisoner was asked what he had to say. He an- 
swered: "That d — d s — n of a b — ^h, he insulted me 
by giving me the lie, and no man can do that and live. 
That^s my motto, and Watson knew it; consequently 
he deserved death.'^ This was his only reason for kill- 
ing him. The jury was out about fifteen minutes, and 
returned a verdict of murder in the first degree. 

All was still, and I called a vote of the company, 
giving that same jury power to say what should be done 
with him. All agreed. They were out about five min- 
utes, returned, and said : "Hang him." Men were sent 
to find a tree with a limb suitable, and found one a few 
hundred yards from camp. This was about two o'clock 
in the night. A brush-fire was built, and the prisoner 
notified he had half an hour to live, and could say what 
he had to say during that time. He got a man to pray 



=s^==:=sse^^^^^^^HiHH0P«i 



80 OONPESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

for him, who prayed about ten minutes. Then the pris- 
oner commenced finding fault with almost everyone in 
camp. His time was cried every five minutes. He swore 
and used the roughest language, acting more like a 
devil than a man going to die. 

When the last five minutes was cried, he turned to 
me, whom he seemed to have missed in his volley of 
abuse, and said : ^^There is the captain, a man I thought 
was a gentleman. It was in his power to have saved 
me, but he has let all this go on and not tried to pre- 
vent my being hanged, and, if there is such a thing, I 
will come back and haunt you all the days of your life.^' 
I replied: "I am not much afraid of live men, and 
much less of dead ones.^* 

A lariat was put around his neck, thrown over a limb, 
and he was drawn four feet from the ground, and the 
other end fastened to a stake, and left until morning. 
Next morning he was rolled in his blanket, and buried 
under the same tree, and at eight o^clock we rolled on. 
I noticed the looks of the company that day, and all 
seemed to say we had done right. 

Next we got to the Mormon station kept by Colonel 
Reese, a Mormon trader. It is now known as G^noa. 
There were eight or ten men there, but not a woman in 
the valley. When we reached California I sold my stock 
and went to mining; worked in the Coon Hill diggings 
four or five weeks, and sank three hundred dollars. 
This was one mile south of Placerville, then called 
Hangtown. 

WliHe woTking there, William Haven, a man who had 



brigham's destroying angel. 81 

wintered in Salt Lake Valley the year before, came to 
see me and wanted me to mine with him. He was in 
company with two others, he having two shares and they 
one apiece; so I went and paid him two hundred dollars 
for one of his shares, and went to work. I soon made 
acquaintances, and to many was a matter of curiosity 
as a Mormon from Salt Lake. People would come to 
see me, as if expecting to see a different species of human 
being. Sometimes we made as high as forty dollars per 
day to the hand. 

There was no law in the mines at that time only min- 
ers^ laws, which was justice in all cases, irrespective of 
persons. I had to sit arbitrator on two cases of theft, 
the punishment for which was hanging. Both were for 
stealing money, small amounts, not over one hundred 
dollars. After sentence, I made a speech begging leni- 
ency — asked mercy for them — ^proposed giving them a 
good dose of pine limbs, which, when put to a vote of 
the company, was agreed to. They got a good dressing- 
down, and were never seen on that flat af terwards. 

I made about one thousand dollars there, went to an- 
other place and sank money running a tunnel; went 
to another place and began placer mining again. 

About this time the California papers were full of 
news about trouble in Utah. Some judges had been sent 
here, and they and Brother Brigham could not hitch 
horses. The papers talked fight all the time, and stated 
that United States troops were to be sent to Salt Lake 
as soon as they could cross the Plains. I grew uneasy 
about home, and determined to return as ^oon as I could 



82 CONFESSION OP BILL HICKMAN. 

cross the mountains. I had intended to stay anoflier 
year, but, true to my friend Brigham, thought if trou- 
ble came on I could help him some, and this was more 
than money to me. 

I had the pleasure of digging gold in several places. 
The largest nugget I found weighed a little over four 
ounces, but I worked many a day that I did not make 
anything. I invested money in deep diggings, and lost 
several hundred dollars. In June, ^52, eight of us were 
ready to go to Salt Lake, four of us living there, and 
the other four going to the States. We bought Spanish 
horses and mules, fine and fat, rigged up pack-saddles, 
bought good riding-saddles, and set out for^Salt Lake, 
which we reached in twenty-one days. On the Hum- 
boldt Eiver, where the Indians had been so bad the year 
before, we met a heavy emigration going to California, 
this — 1852 — ^being the greatest year for emigration. 

We arrived in Salt Lake the 3d of July. I went home, 
ten miles south of the city; found the family all alive 
and well, the stock all fat, and I at home again with a 
few hundreds to make them comfortable. The nexf day 
I went and saw Brigham Young, and made him a pres- 
ent of fifty dollars. We had a long meeting. 

I spent the summer and fall at home, trading some 
with the late California emigrants, getting two poor ani- 
mals for one fat one, and bought some at less than half 
what they were worth when fat 

Winter came on and there was much said about one 
Ike Hatch and his company stealing horses and cattle. 
JBrj^ham wanted me to watch him and some others, and 



brioham's destroying angel. 83 

report to him, which I did for two or three months. I 
found that he was killing beef and bringing it to town, 
and stealing horses and trading them off to persons 
going away from the Territory. He was bringing in 
beef for some of Brigham Young's special friends, either 
as a donation or partnership; anyway they had him 
steal for them, and bring it to them. I reported this to 
Brigham also, which seemed to strike him anew with 
rather a set-back, and I was not asked to watch him 
again. A month or two after this a man living thirty- 
five miles south, who had lost his last and only pair of 
horses, found out Hatch had stolen them, came to me 
and said he had got the word from Brigham to kill him, 
and wanted me and another man to assist him. Hatch 
was watched for and shot, lived a few days and died. 
This was laid to me, and I never denied it. Brigham 
Young said that was a good deed, let who would do it. 

After he was killed, his family moved south fifty 
miles, but his comrades kept up their stealing, and 
finally started East. This man who had lost his horses 
came to me about midnight the first of April, ^53, and 
said the Hatch party had gone, and he thought they 
had his horses along, from what he could learn; said 
he had been to Brigham Young, and he told him to 
come and get me and some others, and follow and kill 
the last one of them. 

The next day I was in the city, mounted on the best 
horse in the Territory, with another good one for my 
friend. We got off at 3 p. m. The day had been warm, 
the snow deep, and the waters were high; so that we 



84 CONFESSION OP BILL HICKMAN. 

had to travel on the mountain sides, on the Indian trail, 
up the canon. The wind blew a hurricane blast, and the 
clouds overshadowed the mountain, so that when we had 
passed the first range we were. obliged to stop. It com- 
menced to snow, and one of the worst storms I ever saw 
ensued. Morning came and the storm abated, but the 
tracks of the party we were in pursuit of were put out 
by the snow. Guessing at the road they would go, we 
set out and went to Fort Bridger, but could hear noth- 
ing of them. I was left at Fort Bridger with one man 
to watch for them. The balance went to Green Eiver, 
seventy miles farther on. They had been gone two days, 
when some mountaineers came to Fort Bridger and told 
me they had seen such men as we were inquiring for in 
Echo Canon the day before, and when they — i, e,, the 
horse-thieves, saw them, they ran, taking up the moun- 
tain. I had only a boy of eighteen with me, untried 
and unproven; did not know whether he would stand 
up to the rack in danger or not. I asked him what he 
thought of going after them, and he said he would go 
with me. 

We started at 10 o^clock a. m., and by dark were at 
the mouth of Echo Canon, seventy miles away, where 
an old man and his son-in-law lived. But these were 
of no advantage to us, as neither of them had nerve 
enough to pull a setting-hen off Ker nest. I inquired 
about the thieves, but they knew nothing about them. 
It commenced snowing and raining that night, and kept 
it up until the next day. Next morning it cleared off 
£ne and. warm; the snow passed off the south hill-sides. 



brigham's destroying angel. 85 

and we went out to look for tracks. Found old ones 
on the mountain-side which we thought must have been 
made by them; followed them about four miles and 
came to fresh ones, just made, going towards Weber 
Eiver. We looked up and down the river, being on the 
mountain-side, so we could see for miles each way, and 
saw them near the river about two miles off. Saw them 
shooting wild geese. There were four of them, and all 
had guns and pistols. We had Coifs revolvers only. 

We watched them some time, and studied how we 
could get to them without being seen. We fell back and 
took down the river, keeping out of sight until we were 
close to them. I told Joe to cock his pistol, and I cocked 
mine. I looked at him, and he was pale and trembling. 
I hit him a slap on the face, and told him I would break 
his head if he did not look out. His color came, his 
nerve steadied, and his eyes flashed with anger. I said 
to him : "Obey orders, and follow me." 

We rode around the brush and made a dash upon 
them, at the same time crying out: "Here they are, 
boys, come on." I ordered a surrender, told them to 
deliver their arms to Joe forthwith, at the same time 
presenting my pistol at the one I considered the most 
dangerous, and swearing to shoot the first man that hes- 
itated. They delivered up their arms in quick time. I 
told Joe to keep back a few paces, while I marched them 
in front of me to the house at the mouth of the canon. 
When we got into the road they wanted to know where 
the balance of the company was. I made them beliwe 
they were close by, but when we got to the house it was 



86 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

soon known that 'we had no company with us. They 
swore if they had known that, they would not have been 
taken, and began talking of leaving. We took a gun 
apiece, hid the balance of their arms, and stood guard 
over them. 

In a short time our men were up, not a dry hair on 
their horses. When they returned to Fort Bridger and 
heard the news, they came on as fast as their horses 
could bring them. We then learned the thieves' camp 
was six miles back in the mountain ; that their horses 
were there, and all their camp equipage, and that one 
of their company had gone to the city for flour. 

The next day we went to their camp and brought 
everything to the house; found three stolen animals, but 
the man who had come for me, expecting to find his 
horses, was disappointed. We had no evidence against 
three of the prisoners, but started them for the citj% and 
sent the guilty one down the river with a bullet-hole 
through him. 

We divided our company, as there were two roads to 
the city, in order to catch the other thief, Ike Vaughn. 
The party I was not with caught him at the mouth of 
Emigration Canon, within five miles of the city, return- 
ing to his company. I got to the city with my party 
about dark, and learned they had Vaughn. We had had 
a hard trip through the snow, crossing the mountain, 
had storms on us half the time, and were tired and worn 
out, so we turned the prisoner over to the acting police, 
witli instructions to wind up his career that night. 

About midnight we were wakened from a sound sleep 



BRIGHAM's DESTROYINa ANGEL. 87 

by one of the police, who told us the prisoner was gone. 
We asked him how it happened. He said they took him 
out and hit him a rap on the head, when he broke loose 
and outran them. We got up and searched until day- 
light, but got no trace of him. I went with Mr. E , 

the man who had lost his horses, to see Brigham Young, 
and make a report of what we had done. 

Mr. R gave him a full report of all that Tiad 

taken place, and the escape of Vaughn. He said we had 
done well ; told us to go home and rest, and then go after 
Vaughn again, and never stop until we had killed him. 
We then asked him what should be done with their prop- 
erty. He said : "Turn it over to the Church.*^ He saw 

Mr. E did not like this, having lost his horses, 

which were taken by this party, been on a hard trip, and 
then to turn over property to those who had plenty, did 
not suit him. Brother Brigham finally said: "Take 
the property and divide it among yourselves,^* which 
we did. 

I got a small Spanish mule worth seventy-five dollars, 
a rifle, and two half -worn blankets for my share. Here 
let me say that this is all I ever got for services ren- 
dered on Brigham Young's orders. Neither did I ever 
receive a present from him, not so much as one dollar. 
But from the cause of my former belief I questioned 
nothing, supposing him right in all things, and it not 
only a duty, but highly necessary that I should obey his 
commands, and in the end it would prove both spiritual 
and temporal salvation to me, which situation thousands 
of others are now in, in this Territory. 



\ 



88 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

• 

We rested one day, when Mr. E , with one man, 

started south to San Pete Valley, a distance of one hun- 
dred and twenty-five miles, to see if Vaughn was there, 
as he had some acquaintances living there. They called 
on the widow of I. Hatch, thinking he might be there, 

but got no news of him. Mrs. Hatch told Mr. E 

that her husband said just before he died that he had 

taken Mr. E 's horses, and sold them to a Califor- 

nian ; that they were gone and he was sorry, but could 

not help it now, and wanted her to tell Mr. E ^ if 

she ever saw him. 

They returned, not hearing of Vaughn, but said they 
had things fixed so that if he was seen he would be 
attended to. Shortly after this he told me Vaughn was 
caught and killed down South. I never asked him who 
did it; nor do I know yet. The other three were turned 
loose, and went to California. 

I had been making preparations for a road trade all 
winter, intending to take an outfit and go somewhere in 
the vicinity of Green Eiver, and trade with the Califor- 
nia and Oregon immigration for tired and lame stock, 
and buy surplus loading, which was generally sold cheap 
when teams began to get tired. 

I commenced reading law, of which I had a smatter- 
ing when quite young. I had given attention to it ever 
since I saw that law knowledge and talent were quite 
ordinar}^ as a general thing, in this country. I thought 
I would, after awhile, make a business of practicing law, 
but this summer I intended to trade. I got my olitfit 
pf stocky groceries, and a set of blacksmitVs tools, and 



90 CONFESSION OP BILL HICKMAN. 

went to Green Eiver; got there the first of May, and the 
mountain-traders, some forty or fifty, all met me, want- 
ing whisky. I had plenty, and sold whisky a few days 
at two dollars per pint, and took jn six or seven hun- 
dred dollars. I thought I had better go back farther on 
the road, as there were so many trading at and around 
Green Eiver; so I went to Pacific Springs, sixty miles 
farther east, set up shop and grocery, and the immigra- 
tion soon began to come. Horse-shoeing, wagon-repair- 
ing, and whisky were all in big demand, and lame stock 
cheap. 

I had been there but a few days when Doc. Morton, 
from St. Louis, came with a similar outfit for a road 
trade. He was surgeon in Colonel Doniphan^s regiment 
of volunteers, from western Missouri, during the Mex- 
ican war. He was also the Morton of the wholesale drug 
store in St. Louis. This gentleman had seen something 
of the Plains, and was taking this trip for a change, 
not expecting to find any trader there. He seemed sad 
and disappointed. I saw he was a gentleman, and told 
him there would be trade enough for us both; so he set 
up his establishment about two hundred yards from me. 
Emigration from the East to California and Oregon 
soon came thick. Drove after drove of cattle passed 
daily, most of which had lame or tired ones to sell. We 
paid from five to ten dollars per head; seldom over. 
Traded for several good horses, some lame, some sick; 
bought clothing, groceries, wagons, harness, and tents 
at a low figure. 

We wound up some time in August. The Doctor went 



brigham's destroying angel. 91 

to Salt Lake with his stock, sold out, and went to St. 
liouis that fall. I got home with over a hundred head 
more stock than I started with, and a little of almost 
everything else. I made a reckoning after I got home 
of what I had made that summer, and it was over nine 
thousand dollars. I had bought some of the finest Dur- 
ham stock I ever saw; they being heavy and tender, 
could not be driven through. From this stock I raised, 
and had the premium stock of the Salt Lake fairs for 
many years. 

During the summer a difficulty took place between 
the ferrymen and mountain men. The latter had always 
owned and run the ferry across Green River; but the 
Utah Legislature granted a charter to Hawley, Thomp- 
son & McDonald, for all the ferries there. The moun- 
tain men, who had lived there for many years, claimed 
their rights to be the oldest, and a difficulty took place, 
in which the mountain men took forcible possession oi 
all the ferries but one, making some thirty thousand 
dollars out of them. When the ferrying season was over, 
the party having the charter brought suit against them 
for all they had made during the summer. 

About this time it was rumored that Jim Bridger was 
furnishing the Indians with powder and lead to kill 
Mormons. Affidavits were made to that effect, and the 
sheriff was ordered out with a posse of one hundred 
and fifty men to arrest him, capture his ammunition, 
and destroy all his lifjuors. J was s(»nt for to come to 
Brigham Young's office. He told me lie wanted me to 
go with the sheriff, James Ferguson, and party, as I had 



92 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

been out there that summer, was acquainted with those 
mountaineers, and might be of special service. I ac- 
cordingly went; Bridger had heard of this and left — 
no one knew where to. We searched around severail 
days for him. Finally one of the party who had taken 
the ferries, came to Fort Bridger and was arrested. No 
ammunition was found, but the whisky and rum, of 
which he had a good stock, was destroyed by doses : the 
sheriff, most of his officers, the doctor and chaplain of 
the compan}^ all aided in carrying out the orders, and 
worked so hard day and night that they were exhausted 
— not being able to stand up. But the privates, poor 
fellows ! were rationed, and did not do so much. 

I saw how things were going, and told the sheriff 1 
was going home. He then asked me if I would make 
one of Lieutenant Eph. Hanks' party to take the pris- 
oner into Salt Lake. I agreed, and we started in the 
afternoon. Hanks was full of rum. The necessary sup- 
plies were laid in, which consisted of a few canteens of 
the same. We intended to travel forty miles before wo 
slept, but when night came on it was very dark. The 
canteens made things lively until we came to some brush, 
when the prisoner, Elisha Eyan, slipped off his horse, and 
in an instant was in the brush out of sight. We searched 
for him an hour or two, and sent two of the party back 
to Fort Bridger, while Hanks and myself came on to 
the city and made our report. Hanks being one of the 
star boys, so looked up to, felt rather cheap when his 
rum gave out and he came to himself, on seeing what 
ha had done. 



brigham's destroying angel. 93 

The posse went to Green Eiver, shot two or three 
mountaineers, took several hundred head of stock, re- 
turned to Fort Bridger, and what whisky they could not 
drink they poured out, reserving, however, enough to 
keep them drunk until they got home. The property 
that was taken went to pay a few officers, and, as was 
said, the expenses of the posse's but, poor fellows, I 
never knew of one of them getting a dollar. It went to 
pay tithing ; and, finally, all was gobbled up and turned 
over to the Church, and Hawley & Co. never got a cent. 
This did not suit him very well ; but he had to stand 
it, and it sticks in his craw to this day. The old man 
tells some wonderful stories about that and other losses 
sustained by Church authority; but that is his history 
and not mine, and I will pass over it as I have, and 
will do, with many others; but, at the close of my his- 
tory, I may give to you the manner in which several 
have been treated in financial affairs by those holding 
authority over them. 

That fall, after harvest, my horses were gathered and 
put into a field having probably seventy-five acres, which 
had not been cultivated, and bore the finest of grass. 
One morning my hired boy came in and told me Frenchy 
was gone, one of the finest little French horses I ever 
saw ; his mane hanging to his knees, and his f oretop to 
the end of his nose; a horse I had got the year before, 
and given a big price for him. I found him very gen- 
tle, and made my wife a present of him — that same good 
woman whom I have told you I courted and married 
when but a boy. He paced finely ; she loved horseback 



1 



94 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

riding, and with him could make a showing among a 
hundred horses. 

We found where the fence had been let down and the 
horse led out, and a man^s tracks. I sent for my horse, 
which was the best in the Territory, and put one of my 
hired men on the next best, and started. About noon 
we got his track, and were satisfied which way he had 
gone. We traveled at the rate of eight miles an hour, 
and just before sundown I saw my horse coming out of 
the swamps of Utah Lake, sixty miles from where we 
started. I was both mad and tired. The man on him 
hailed me and wanted to know if he could have our 
company south. I felt too indignant to speak. I rode 
up by his side and shot him through the head, took my 
horse and went home. I did not get off my horse to 
examine him. I never heard from him after. Whether 
he was found or buried I do not know. 

I was in the city a few days after, and, as in duty 
bound, made report to Brigham Young, who held the 
right of life-taking in his own hands, and nobody else, 
as we had often been told. He said I had done just 
right. I will here state that, while at Pacific Springs, 
on the South Pass, at my trading-post, among the emi- 
gration passing, one of my brothers came along, going 
to California. I had not seen him for twelve years, and 
did not know him. He had studied medicine, had his 
diploma^ and was going to California to practice his 
profession. I, with much persuasion, got him to stop 
and spend the winter with me; but before the winter 
was over, we Mormomz^A. him and got him to join the 



BRIGHAM^S DESTROYING ANGEL. 95 

Church. He has been here ever since, and is a good 
Mormon; but, poor fellow, he has never had but one 
wife, won't practice medicine, lives on his farm, raises 
grain, attends to his stock, and goes along as though he 
was a stereotyped Christian indeed. 

I spent the most of my time that winter reading law- 
books. I also got the appointment of Deputy United 
States marshal under Marshal Joseph L. Heywood, he 
having been appointed by President Z. Taylor, which 
office I held until '58, doing most of the Marshal's busi- 
ness in the courts, and making all arrests of hard men. 
That winter, while Judge Shaffer's court was in session, 
I made application for license to practice law, and a 
committee, with Almon W. Babbitt as foreman, was ap- 
pointed to examine me. I was in attendance at the 
court acting as marshal and bailiff at the same time. 
The committee reported next morning favorable, after 
giving me what I thought was a pretty rigid examina- 
tion, and I was licensed. 

That winter a new county was granted by the Legis- 
lature, taking in Green Eiver Ferry, called Green River 
County. W. I. Appleby was appointed probate judge, 
with power to organize said county and appoint all nec- 
essry officers, who were to hold office until the next elec- 
tion.* From the time that those mountain men had 
had their property taken by the sheriff and his posse, 
very ill feelings had existed. Threats were made that 
they would have as much property out of the Mormons 
as they had lost by them. Some fears were entertained 

♦See Appendix — B. 



o 



-^ 



96 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

that they might bother the emigration the next fall, and 
Brigham Young wanted me' to go and stay on Green 
Eiver that summer, and, if possible, quiet them down 
in some way or other; and if I could not make peace 
with them any other way, pitch in and kill those that 
would not come to terms without, and especially Eyan 
(he was with the Indians, and would do us much harm, 
and must go up). This being my charge, I set out with 
Judge Appleby and Eey. Orson Hyde,^ who had charge 
of the new settlement. Fort Supply, twelve miles souifi 
of Fort Bridger. Our company consisted of fifteen, this 
being about the first of May, ^54, as soon as we could 
get across the mountains for fenow. 

Orson Hyde being the head of The Twelve, obedience 
was required to his commands, in the absence of Brig- 
ham Young, in all things, whether spiritual or tem- 
poral; and, in fact, the man who did not obey had bet- 
ter leave when he could, especially those who might 
refuse, or give any intimation of a dislike to things 
that elsewhere would be an open violation of law. But 
the satisfied point and undoubted fact that God had 
established His kingdom in the mountains, and Brig- 
ham was conversant with the Almighty, was a settled 
question. In all candor I say I do not think there was 
then in Utah one in fifty, or, I might say, one in a hun- 
dred, who did not believe it. This man Orson Hyde was 
sanguine in this belief, although there were some points 
in Brigham Young's conduct he could not see through, 
but attributed it all, he said, to his inability to compre- 



brigham's destroying angel. 97 

hend the ways of the Almighty. I have traveled with 
and talked to him on all these subjects. 

When we had got across what was known as the Big 
Mountain, and into East Canon, some three or four 
miles, one Mr. Hartley came to us from Provo City. 
This Hartley was a young lawyer who had come to Salt 
Lake from Oregon the fall before, and had married a 
Miss Bullock, of Provo, a respectable lady of a good 
family. But word had come to Salt Lake (so said, I 
never knew whether it did or not), that he had been 
engaged in some counterfeiting affair. He was a fine- 
looking, intelligent yoimg man. He told me he had 
never worked any in his life, and was going to Fort 
Bridger or Green Eiver to see if he could not get a job 
of clerking, or something that he could do. But previ- 
ous to this, at the April Conference, Brigham Young, 
before the congregation, gave him a tremendous blow- 
ing up, calling him all sorts of bad names, and sajring 
he ought to have his throat cut, which made him feel 
very bad. He declared he was not guilty of the charges. 

I saw Orson Hyde looking very sour at him, and after 
he had been in camp an hour or two, Hyde told me that 
he had orders from Brigham Young, if he came to Fort 
Supply to have him used up. "Now," said he, "I want 
you and George Boyd to do it.^^ I saw him and Boyd 
talking together ; then Boyd came to me and said : "It ^s 
all right. Bill ; I will help you to kill that fellow.*^ One 
of our teams was two or three miles behind, and Orson 
Hyde wished me to go back and see if anything had hap- 
pened to it. Boyd saddled his horse to go with me, but 



98 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

Hartley stepped up and said he would go if Boyd would 
let him have his horse. Orson Hyde said : ^Tliet him 
have your horse,^^ which Boyd did. Orson Hyde then 
whispered to me: "Now is your time; don't let him 
come back.'* We started, and about half a mile on had 
to cross the canon stream, which was midsides to our 
horses. While crossing. Hartley got a shot and fell dead 
in the creek. His horse took fright and ran back to 
camp. 

I went on and met Hosea Stout, who told me the team 
was coming close by. I turned back. Stout with me, for 
our camp. Stout asked me if I had seen that fellow, 
meaning Hartley. 1 told him he had come to our camp, 
and he said from what he had heard he ought to be 
killed. I then told him all that had happened, and he 
said that was good. When I returned to camp Boyd 
told me that his horse came into camp with blood on 
the saddle, and he and some of the boys took it to the 
creek and washed it off. Orson Hyde told me that was 
well done ; that he and some others had goiie on the side 
of the mountain, and seen the whole performance. We 
hitched up and went to Weber Eiver that day. When 
supper was over, Orson Hyde called all the camp to- 
gether, and said he wanted a strong guard on that night, 
for that fellow that had come to us in the forenoon had 
left the company; he was a bad man, and it was his opin- 
ion that he intended stealing horses that night. This 
was about as good a take-off as he could get up, it was 
all nonsense ; it would do well enough to tell ; as every- 
one that did not know what had happened believed it.* 

♦See Appendix — C. 



CHAPTER IV. 
FROM 1854 TO 1858. 

GREEN RIVER COUNTY ORGANIZED — HICKMAN APPOINTED 
SHERIFF, PROSECUTING ATTORNEY, ASSESSOR, AND COL- 
LECTOR — ^RYAN RE-ARRESTED, PARDONED, AND BECOMES 
A FRIEND OF HICKMAN — HIS MURDER — BRIGHAM^S 
MEANNESS IN BUSINESS — COL. STEPTOE''S ARRIVAT. — 
GRAND PROSPECTING TOUR — FREMONT^S PEAK, OR FRE- 
MONT'S HOAX? — ARREST OF CARLOS MURRAY — HICK- 
MAN ELECTED TO THE LEGISLATURE — ^DISGRACEFUL 
CONDUCT OF JUDGE DRUMMOND — THE ''^MORMON BOYS"' 
TRAP HIM INTO A FIX — HICKMAN RETURNS TO MIS- 
SOURI FOR THE MAIL AND EXPRESS COMPANY — MUT- 
TERINGS OF WAR — HICKMAN RIDES FIVE HUNDRED 
MILES IN SIX DAYS — THE MORMON WAR BEGUN — MOR- 
MON TACTICS — BURNING GOVERNMENT TRAINS — HICK- 
MAN AS A GUERRILLA CAPTAIN. 

We went on to Fort Supply, where the county was 
organized by Judge Appleby, and the officers appointed, 
sworn in, and commissioned by him to hold until the 
August election. He had special instructions from Brig- 
ham Young to appoint me sherijBf, in order to give me 
power over the mountaineers, which was agreeable to 
the Judge, as we were always good friends. The Judge 
loaded me down with offices. I had the office of sheriff 



BRIGIIAM^S DESTROYING ANGEL. 101 

and county prosecuting attorney, assessor and collector.* 
After this was through with, we moved to Green Eiver, 
opened our offices, and were ready for business. These 
offices were not desired by me, for I knew I could go 
back to South Pass, and make more money at my old 
stand than I could at Green Eiver with all these offices; 
but I had to obey counsel. My services were needed 
there, and I then dared not refuse. I got my brother, 
who had come on the year before, to go to South Pass 
and attend to my business for me, making him my full 
partner. He did tolerable well for us both, but noth- 
ing like I had done the year before. 

The mountaineers began to gather in, the quiet ones, 
such as Jack Eobinson, the well-known old mountaineer. 
He said he was glad I was going to stop on Green Eiver ; 
glad the county was organized, and we had an officer to 
keep peace; hoped things would go off quiet that year. 
I took a great deal of pains to get his confidence, know- 
ing he was an influential man among them, which I 
soon got. I found him a fine, clever old man, and the 
best of feelings have existed between us ever since. I 
had not been on Green Eiver long before I had a diffi- 
culty with a half-breed Delaware Indian, considered a 
very dangerous man, and conquered, but did not kill 
him. This gave me much influence. The other Indians 
thought I was a great war-chief that feared nothing, 
and a medicine man, too. 

I will here tell you their fanatical notions about what 
they call a medicine man. * They firmly believe Shinab 

♦See Appepdix — D. 



102 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

— ^that is, the sun, makes and keeps men from being hit 
with ball or arrow. The chiefs keep their men in dread 
and fear, telling them they can^t be killed. I saw a 
chief once strip himself and walk through an Indian 
village, inviting anyone that wished to take a shot at 
him, but no one dared do it, believing that he could not 
be killed, and if they shot and missed him he might be 
mad and kill them. - Their come off to this is, in case 
one of their medicine men get killed, they say he was 
no medicine man, but had lied to then) about it. But 
so long as he lives, it is all well enough. 

The different bands of Indians kept coming in, who 
had had their minds soured by the mountaineers in con- 
sequence of the Mormons taking away the rights of their 
friends. Those men told them that was their country, 
and they had a right to say who should stay in it, or 
who should run the ferries. I got Uncle Jack Eobin- 
son* to explain to them how things were, and what laws 
and organizations had been extended over that country ; 
that it was not to take their country nor deprive them 
of their rights, but it was done to make the white men 
do right while passing through their country, and this 
authority had come from the Great Father at Wash- 
ington. He at the same time told them I was the chief 
to make all white men behave, which gave them entire 
satisfaction. After making them some presents, such as 

* An old mountaineer with two Indian wives, who has lived 
on Green River for thirty years. 



bkigham's destroying angel. 103 

a beef, a few sacj^s of flour, and some sugar and cofiEee, 
they all left satisfied, and have never made any trouble 
there since. 

Some few weeks after this, Eyan and a party of half-a- 
dozen came from Wind Eiver, took possession of the fer- 
ry, and commenced running it, crossing the emigration, 
and taking in the pay. The owners came to Judge Ap- 
pleby^s office, scared half to death, having been run oflE 
and heavily threatened, supposing he (Eyan) would 
have enough help to hold the ferry, and that would be an 
end of their ferrying that year. A writ was soon issued 
for the arrest of Eyan. I selected two good men to go 
ahead of me and be with Eyan to keep him from getting 
the bulge on me. They were strangers to him. I told 
them I would be there alone an hour after. They went, 
and I soon followed. My policy was to take the bulge 
on and fasten him, and by that the balance of his party 
would weaken. This worked well. 

When I got in sight I rode up at half speed alone, no 
one thinking I would dare undertake any arrest without 
a posse. I dismounted, and with a cocked revolver in my 
hand, ordered Eyan not to move, telling him he was my 
prisoner, and ordered his hands tied behind. This was 
*the first of my two men being known. They tied him 
in quick time, while I held my revolver at his breast. His 
men stood looking on in astonishment I watched them 
closely, and told them if they kept still they would be all 
right, but if they did not I would shoot the last one of 
them. I mounted Eyan on his horse, one of my men 



104 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

leading him and two of us behind. It was all done in 
three minutes, and we were off at high speed. 

When we had got about half-way to camp, I looked at 
him and saw he was a different man from what he was 
represented to be, and I told the boys to loose him. We 
got into conversation, and he expressed himself freely to 
me. He had supposed that the ferry company had got 
all his property, amounting to ten or twelve thousand 
dollars, and he was left poor. He said if they had to 
refund the money they had taken in the year before, it 
should have been on all the owners in the ferry, and not 
on him alone, and he had sworn to have satisfaction in 
some way. He seemed honest in his conclusions. I then 
told him how his property was taken and what was done 
with it, with the exception of the church part. Those 
sacred things were kept sacred from him. This was the 
first time he knew how his property had gone, and made 
a change in his feelings. He stopped just before we got 
to the door of the court-room, and said to me, ^^Get me 
out of this and I will do just as you say hereafter.*' I 
answered : "Good, my boy, there shall not a hair of your 
head be hurt.'* He said his men would be uneasy about 
him, and he must go back that night. He promised to 
be back in the morning if I would allow him to go. I- 
asked him if he would turn over the ferry to the owners, 
and he said he would. 

I saw the Judge, made my return on the writ, and told 
him the prisoner would not be ready for trial until the 
next day. He answered, ^^ery well, he is in your cus- 
tody; he can have until to-morrow at ten o'clock A.M., at 



BRIGHAM^S DESTROYING ANGEL. 105 

which time you will have him before the court/' I told 
Ryan to go and give up the ferry, and be back by that 
time, telling him I thought him a man of his word, and 
would trust him, but if he did not come it would break 
me of my office and subject me to a heavy fine ; that I 
was doing this on my own responsibility. After he was 
gone I was reprimanded by nearly all for letting him go. 
Bottles of whisky and champagne were bet on his not 
coming back. I took all the bets, seme dozen bottles in 
all. Before 9 a.m., he was there with four of liis friends, 
seemed pleased to see me, and proposed taking a drink. 
I told him I had made our whiskey for the day betting 
on him. "Well,'^ said he, "that's good ; take all such bets 
when I give my word.'' I saw the prosecuting parties, 
who were willing, after hearing his story, to withdraw the 
case, and told him they would pay the costs if he would 
let them alone. He promised them he would, and to 
their astonishment pulled out the money he had taken 
in and handed it over to them. They gave him back two 
hundred dollars, which he reluctantly took, saying if he 
was not so poor he would not have it. 

Ryan took a liking to me, and ever after was a special 
friend of mine. He was of great service to me as Indian 
interpreter, as he could talk the Indian language as well 
as they could. He came home with me and staid that 
winter. I had him with me on three trips to the Indians, 
as per order of Brigham Young, Superintendent of In- 
dian affairs ; while he held that office imder appointment 
of President Filmore. We had one starving trip through 
our foolishness. We were sent by Brigham Young to 



106 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

hunt up and invite in Washakie, a Shoshone chief, and 
his band of Indians. We went to Green Eiver, and heard 
those Indians were up on head waters; so we concluded 
to make an Indian march, and not take any provisions 
with us, not even so much as salt. We had one white 
man and two Indians, five in all. We traveled eight days 
and found no Indians; had, during this time, two small 
ducks noTmuch larger than a man^s fist, and four moun- 
tain trout, which would probably weigh three-fourths of 
a pound each. This was all we had, except a few rose- 
buds, until the eighth day, just ^t sundown, one of the 
Indians killed a large antelope. We were within fifteen 
miles of Fort Bridger, where we expected to get our sup- 
per that night; but this antelope was too good a thing. 
'We stripped off our saddles and went to roasting, and 
did not stop until it was all eaten. We then lay down 
and slept as sweetly as children in their mother's arms. 
The game had all left the country we were traveling in, 
and there was not so much as a prairie chicken to be 
seen. 

Eyan, poor fellow, went to Fort Bridger early in the 
spring, before I did, and got killed by a Spaniard, whc 
without cause, slipped upon him and shot him, and then 
left the country. When Eyan first came to the city he 
went to see Brigham Young, and told him his situation 
and how he had been treated. Brigham promised him 
an interest in the ferries the next year, and told him he 
would give him a chance to get liis money back. He then 
asked Brigham to lend him five hundred or a thousand 
dollars until the next summer. Brigham told him he 



BRIGHAM^S DESTROYING ANGEL. 107 

did not have it, but turned to me and told me to go and 
borrow him what money he wanted. I borrowed seven 
hundred and fifty dollars and gave to him, which, after 
his death, I had to pay. I spoke to Brigham Young 
about it, and he said I must pay it, and be more cautious 
hereafter whom I borrowed money for. I thought I 
would, at his suggestion anyhow. 

In the fall of 1854, Col. E. J. Steptoe came to Salt 
Lake City with three hundred United States troops, and 
wintered in the city. They got along peaceably until 
Christmas day, when a portion of them and a good many 
citizens got drunk. They had a regular street fight, and 
there were a good many sore heads and bloody noses on 
both sides. But the oflBcers put a stop to this, and all 
was quiet the next day. I got in town just in time to see 
the crowd dispersing. In the spring. Col. Steptoe went 
to California with his troops, taking with him O. P. . 
Eockwell as guide. 

That winter Judge Shaffer died, and Judge Kinney 
took his place, being appointed Chief Justice for Utah. 
The Judge was merchandising, keeping hotel, and hold- ' 
ing court in Salt Lake City, all at the same time. In 
the spring of '55 I bought a fourth interest in the fer- 
ries; went to Green Eiver, repaired the boats, and got ^ 
the ferries in running condition. We heard the emigra- 
tion for California and Oregon would be small, and 
would not be along until late in the season ; so,- in com- 
pany with others who had come in that country to trade, 
and some of my hired men, I agreed to take a prospect- 
ing tour on Sweet Water, South Pass, and Wind River. 



108 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

Seven of us rigged up with pack animals for a three 
or four week's trip. Myself and one other, having 
worked in the California diggings, were the only ones 
that knew anything of gold hunting. We spent a week 
prospecting a stream where rich gold quartz' is now 
found, and mills crushing it. We found gold on all 
those streams, but not in paying quantities. We did not 
find any place that we thought would pay more than two 
dollars a day to the man. We knew nothing about quartz 
mining, consequently did not hunt for lodes. 

After searching on Strawberry Creek, Willow Creek, 
and many of their tributaries, we went into the high 
mountains, finding^lakes almost on the tops, and im- 
mense snow-beds. We got several hundred feet higher 
than the Fremont I?Gak, so much talked of several years 
ago; a statement having been published that Col. Fre- 
mont had stopped and bleed himself twice before reach- 
ing the summit. This, like many other stories of adven- 
turers in these mountains, is all a hoax. We had no 
trouble in breathing, being so high above, and the dis- 
tance together, that what is called Fremont's Peak look- 
ed like nothing more than a common mound or butte. 

Now, some may say we were mistaken, for Fremont's 
Peak is the highest mountain in all North America. 
This is not so. I have been with mountaineers who 
showed me that mountain, who were with Fremont, and 
laughed at the ridiculous story told and published about 
Fremont Peak. We crossed the high mountain of wEich 
I have been writing, and struck the head waters of Wind 
River on the north side of it. Here I saw more game 



110 CONFESSION OF BILL HlCKMAK. 

than I ever had seen at one place — ^buflEalo, elk, deer, an- 
telope, and bear were all to be seen at once. We killed 
all we wanted, and had some great sport after them, es- 
pecially the bear, sometimes shooting a dozen balls into 
one before producing death. 

We ran over the whole country, found but little gold, 
and were ready for a return, when one evening we saw 
two Indians coming. We saw them ten miles off, an^d 
got ahead of them ; found them to be Snake Indians 
whom I knew. They told me the Blackfeet Indians were 
coming, and we had better leave quick. We left the next 
morning, passing around the Wind Eiver mountain on 
the east; went to Sweet Water; spent two or three days, 
and left for Green Eiver, believing, from finding gold 
in so many places, that some time there would be gold 
found in that country in paying quantities. Reached 
Green Eiver, and no emigration yet, so I left the ferry 
in charge of good men and went home; stayed a few days, 
and made arrangements for the August elections. We 
then went back, closed up our ferrying, went to Fort 
Supply, and remained until the first Monday in August. 

I was then elected representative of the county. The 
Territorial Legislature then met at Filmore, one hun- 
dred and fifty miles south of Salt Lake City. I went to 
Salt Lake City again, and attended to several law-suits 
in the Probate and District courts. The grand jury of 
the United States District Court found an indictment 
against Carlos Murray for murder — the unlawful kill- 
ing of an Indian — and the writ was put in my hand for 
his arrest He lived on the Humboldt Eiver, four hun- 



brigham's destroying angel. Ill 

dred miles from here in a wild Indian country. The 
court allowed me a posse of forty men. We went, found, 
arrested, and brought Murray to Salt Lake City. 

The legislature set, I attended and got my traveling 
fees for two hundred and eighty miles. I rented a room, 
had it furnished with the best the country afforded, 
dressed in the best clothes I could find, and attended 
forty days. I was on the committee of counties and cor- 
porations. 

About this time Judge W. W. Drummond had been 
holding a term of the District Court, and had with him 
a woman whom he had picked up in Washington, leav- 
ing his wife and family, and had this prostitute sitting 
on the bencli with him when trying a case of murder. 
She was writing billets and passing to him while on his 
judicial bench. I heard this in Salt Lake City a few 
days before leaving for Filmore, and made an assertion 
on the street that if I had a murder case before him, and 
he had that woman on the bench, I would kick them 
both out of the house. He heard this before I got to Fil- 
more, and issued a bench warrant for my arrest for con- 
tempt of court. I heard of it when I got in town, and 
said if he served a writ on me I would horse- whip him. 
It was not served. 

During the sitting of the Legislature, a Jew, by the 
name of Abrams, had a difficulty with him, in which 
Drummond threatened to kill him. The other two 
Judges were holding a term of the Supreme Court, and 
I thought this a good chance to get even with him, so I 
got the Jew to swear out a writ, and had him arrested. 



112 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

The Jew got me to prosecute the case for him. I got 
another attorney to assist me, as I learriod ]^rummond 
had employed two. We went into the case, and, in spite 
of all opposition, showed him up in his proper light. We 
went into his character and general course, which we 
made look bad enough. After working at this four days, 
we got the Jew to withdraw the prosecution by Drum- 
mond paying the costs. I had handled him until I was 
satisfied. We were never friends. afterwards. He pub- 
lished several barefaced falsehoods about me after he 
went to the States. 

Many of you have no doubt heard of the government 
officials in Utah having troubles, and some serious ones 
too, but this is the only one I ever had any difficulty with. 
I generally got along well with them, and have always 
tried to keep peace, and befriended some of them when 
in embarrassed conditions, and actually needing help 
from unjust proceedings against them, some of whose 
statements you will find in this book. 

The summer previous, that is in *55, grasshoppers 
come into Salt Lake and many of the valleys, destroying 
the crops entirely, and even the grass on the benches 
looked as though it had been burnt, leaving nothing for 
stock. I took my stock to Eush Valley, to winter, where 
the grasshoppers had not been. I built log-houses, put 
up hay and made good corrals ; stayed there until spring, 
and then moved back to my farm, ten miles south of Salt 
Lake City. I went to Green Eiver that summer again, 
to attend the ferries and trade. The emigration was 
small that year^ 185G, and nothing of great interest 






BRIGHAM^S DESTROYING ANGEL. 113 

passed. Good crops were raised, and the poor, who had 
suffered much for want of food the year before, now had 
plenty. 

We had some exciting lawsuits, every plug lawyer try- 
ing to excel and show his mighty talents and oratorical 
powers. The winter following was a very severe one. 
We had to take our stock from Salt Lake Valley to an- 
other valley lo winter. 

This winter, ^56-^57, one Mr. Hiram Kimball got a 
contract to carry the mail from Independence, Missouri, 
to Salt Lake City, once a month for four years. He not 
being a man of much means in those days, though he ij 
had been wealthy in Nauvoo times, sought assistance 
from 0. P. Rockwell and myself, both of us having stock 
to carry the mail. We agreed upon terms ; Rockwell was 
to carry from Fort Laramie to Salt Lake, and I from 
Laramie to Independence. Arrangements being made, I 
was ready to start, although two parties had tried to get 
through the mountains and failed, one man having 
frozen to death before going twenty miles. 

About this time Brighm Young and others got up a 
great carrying and express company, and made us put 
our mail interests into that company, and run together. 
I was sick of it, and tried to get out, but "N"o,'^ said 
Brigham Young, "You are the very man ; get your bays 
and roll out; you can go." I obeyed reluctantly. I 
dreaded the trip, knowing I would have to be gone three 
months or more, suffer many privations, be at a heavy 
expense, and the way they had things fixed, not make a 
dollar. 



114 CONFESSION OF BILL HIOKMAN. 

We were ten days going the first hundred and thirteen 
miles, to Fort Bridger, with the best of animals. We 
were fifteen days on the bleak desert going from Fort 
Bridger to South Pass. We would travel all day, tramp 
the snow and lead our animals, which, with great diflB- 
culty, we could get to travel very slow. At night we 
would camp on some knoll that the snow was blown off 
of, and by a poor sage brush fire cook a camp-kettle of 
coffee and another of corn, having got out of provisions, 
all but a sack of com I had taken along to feed the 
horses. Several of these nights I thought I would freeze 
to death, but stood it better than any of the others. 

We finally got through the snow into a little valley 
near DeviFs Gate, on Sweet Water, where we found good 
grass for our stock, which they very much needed, hav- 
ing been without several days. The next morning we 
finished our corn, having only a scanty meal, and had 
not a bite of anything to eat in the company. We packed 
up and started for DeviFs Gate, twenty miles distant, 
where we expected to find provisions plenty, knowing 
that a train of goods had been left there the fall before, 
imder a guard of fifteen men ; the snow having fallen so 
deep they could not reach Salt Lake City. We had not 
traveled far before we saw eight or ten buffalo. Two 
men were sent out, and soon shot a large one. We were 
in the center of a valley on a nice stream, where there 
was plenty of wood, and any quantity of the best mount- 
ain grass. We stopped, skinned and packed to camp all 
the meat, and the greatest eating I ever saw then took 
place. I cautioned the men not to eat too much; but a 



BRIOHAM^S DESTROYING ANOBL. 115 

continual eatings was kept up all day by our company, 
consisting of nine men. The next morning we all put all 
that was left of the buffalo in two flour sacks, and pack- 
ed it on one mule. This is a big story, but true. 

The next day we reached DeviFs Gate, and found the 
men out of provisions; they had been living on beef 
hides for several days. I asked them if there was no 
provisions among the goods they were guarding. They 
said they thought there was something that would do to 
eat, but they dared not touch it. I told them they werf^ 
foolish; to help themselves to anything there was there 
to eat. I told them I would be responsible and shoulder 
all the blame for doing this, as I wanted some provis- 
ions for my men; I would hand it out, they could take 
an account of it, and report to the owners that it was 
done by me and my party. This pleased the poor suffer- 
ing fellows. We burst open the door of the cabin in 
which the goods were stored, and found plenty of sugar, 
tea, coffee, rice and dried fruit; all hands helped them- 
selves, and we had a great general feast. 

We now had bare ground to travel on, but our horses 
were worn out, and we could only make twenty miles per 
day. After forty days' travel we reached Fort Laramie. 
There we found Mr. Ward, post-sutler, waiting for com- 
pany to go to the States. We rested a few days, I bought 
a lot of fresh animals, and we started for Independence 
again. We got along slowly but comfortably. We saw 
buffalo in innumerable quantities, killed all we wanted, 
and had some fine sport after them. One of my men, 
being good at throwing a lariat, caught one while run- 



116 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

ning, but soon found he had not lassoed a cow nor an ox, 
but a buffalo bull. After throwing the lariat on the buf- 
falo he fastened the other end to the loggerhead of his 
saddle, as is customary, and jerked his mule. But the 
buffalo made but little halt, jerking the man and mille 
heels over head, dragging the mule a few rods, w^hen the 
lariat came loose, and the buffalo went on as though 
nothing had happened, with the rope around his neck. 
This put a stop to catching buffalo with ropes, no one 
being anxious to repeat the experiment. 

We finally got to Independence, men and animals tired 
out, having been two months and three days making the 
trip. I delivered the mail, and had to go down the Mis- ' 
souri Kiver to Boonville to telegraph to Washington con- 
cerning the return mail, which I had to wait two we^ks 
for. I visited my father-in-law, and then went to the 
northern part of the State and visited my father and 
mother, whom I had not seen for ten years; returning 
to Independence and started the mail for Salt Lake. I 
here found things boiling against the Mormons. Troops 
were coming, and great excitement prevailed amongst 
the people. I had trouble getting the mail or anything 
else we needed; was threatened strongly, and received 
the worst kind of abuse from the roughs. Two or three 
times the trouble came near being serious; but fortu- 
nately for somebody, it calmed down without shots or 
blows. After starting the mail, I went fifty miles up the 
river to Weston, where I found old acquaintances and 
friends, had a good sociable time for two weeks, found 
-^ne of m^^ ^^oungest brothers with a wife and three chil- 



BRIGHAM^S DESTKOYING ANGEL. 117 

m 

dren, and persuaded them to accompany me to Salt Lake 
City. 

When we got to Laramie, I, with two of my men, 
started in advance for Salt Lake, changing horses at the 
different stations, and traveled the entire distance, five 
hundred miles, in six and a half days, as tired a man as 
ever you saw. I went to Brigham Young's office and 
showed my bills of expenditures, and gave a general ac- 
count of my trip, showing some articles I had published 
in different papers, rebutting the influences that were go- 
ing against the people of Utah and the published state- 
ment of Judge Drummond, in which I scored him as bad 
as he had me. I told them that troops would be here ; 
but was laughed at, tantalized, and treated scornfully 
for making such an assertion.' I told them I had been 
there and ought to know as well as those .who sat at home 
and knew nothing. All hands agreed they were not com- 
ing, and Brother Brigham said neither should they come 
so this ended it. 

I had several animals on this express company, had 
been gone nearly four months, and asked to be excused 
to attend to my business, which was granted. I went to 
Green Kiver again, and set up a trading post and ferry. 
Did very well during the summer ; wound up again and 
come home. 

About this time the express company broke up, and all 
returned home, the mail contract having been taken 
from them. I lost, on the outfit, about one thousand 
dollars, besides my time and suffering. 

About this time it became well known that a large 



118 CONFESSION OP BILL HICKMAN. 

number of troops were coming, with Col. Hamey at llieir 
head. It was ^T^ow, boys, hurrah! They are coming 
to kill off all the principal men. Old Hamey says there 
are over thirty that he will hang lip on sighf This 
was told over and over for truth. "But/* said Brigham 
Young, "they shall never cross the South Pass ; we will 
stampede their stock and compel them to return.^' Geil. 
Burton, with two or three companies, was to do this, and 
I was to stampede and bring in the stock with a few 
men that Col. Lander and his surveying party had on 
Sweet Water, in order to prevent them from getting 
help from him. All hands were off, I with my party 
ahead, but could not find Lander's stock. He had them 
off in theliills ranching. Gen. Burton made several at- 
tempts to stampede the stock belonging to the troops, 
but always found them on the look-out, and returned 
without an animal. 

The troops had by this time got through the South 
Pass, and the next thing was a general rally of all the 
forces in Utah, with a determination never to let them 
come to Bridger. This was in the fall of ^57. Troops 
were sent to Fort Bridger. The post was then, and had 
been for two years owned by the church, and in posses- 
sion of Mr. Eobinson, who had had charge of the same 
from the time of its purchase, I having been one of the 
carriers of the heavy load of gold it took to purchase 
said place with the stock and goods thereon. 

Two or three companies of Mormon troops were seni 

to this post with instructions to annoy and cripple the 

enemy by driving off stock, burning trains, etc., so they 



120 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

would have to stop ; but had orders not to kill unless it 
ccnild not be avoided in performing the aforesaid orders. 
The United States troops crossed Green Eiver and came 
on to Ham^s Fork, some twenty miles west. About this 
time the Mormon troops were seen in every direction 
making hostile movements. Col. Alexander, then com- 
mander of the United States troops, learned what oppo- 
sition he had to meet, and that the pass down Echo 
Canon was well fortified, and several thousand troops at 
the fortifications which they liad made in the canon. 
The Colonel then concluded to take a circuituous route, 
and come into Salt Lake Valley on the north, where he 
would have an open country. Leaving many supply 
trains behind he started, but had not gone more than 
twenty-five miles when Capt. Lot. Smith with his com- 
pany took a provision train of some sixty wagons, carry- 
ing from six to eight thousand pounds to the wagon; and 
l)umed it. Smith had been gone six or eight days with- 
out being heard from, and the commander, Gen. Wells, 
became uneasy and sent me with a small company to find 
him and report. A night^s travel took us to Green Eiver, 
and before it was light we were well secreted in the 
brush. I sent spies out with field-glasses to see if any 
one was moving about the country. About ten o'clock 
Smith was seen coming with one of his men wounded, 
having his thigh-bone shattered by a ball discharged ac- 
cidently. My spies met him and brought him to our 
camp where we lay all day. I saw one of the mountain- 
eers, an old acquaintance, and got him to take th(» 
wounded man to his camp ten miles down the river. 



BRIGHAM^S DESTROYING ANGEL. 121 

The soldiers who had been in charge of the burned train 
all started for Alexander's army, and left the oxen run- 
ning loose. 

Smith did not want to return until he had burned 
another train. I left after dark, gathering all the olen 
I could find — about two hundred and seventy-five — for 
Bridger, and got there the next day at noon in the midst 
of shouts and hurrahs. Smith went back about twenty 
miles, found and burned another train, and then return- 
ed to Bridger. Their provision trains after that were 
guarded, and when all were safe in the United States 
camp on Ham's Fork, all stock, horses, mules, and cattle 
were kept under strong guards. 

Our troops were to be seen on the hills in every direc- 
tion, taking good care to keep out of gun-shot. I was 
sent to the mountaineers to tell them to keep out of the 
wa}^, for we intended running oflf all the stock we could, 
and theirs miglit be in the way and get run off with the 
balance. Most of them obeyed, but some did not. 



CHAPTER V. 
A CHAPTEE OF HOEEOES. 

CAPTURE OP RICHARD YATES — HE IS MURDERED BY 
HOSEA STOUT AND HICKMAN — ^HIS MONEY TAKEN BY 
BRIGHAM YOUNG — ^HIS PROPERTY BY THE GUERILLAS 
— MASSACRE OF THE AIKEN PARTY — ^BRIGHAM SENDS 
HICKMAN TO '^'FINISH THE JOB"' — HORRIBLE TREACH- 
ERY OF BILL KIMBALL AND GEORGE DALTON — ^MURDER 
OF BUCK — A HARD WINTER — ENTRANCE OF JOHN- 
STON'S ARMY AND ESTABLISHMENT OP CAMP FLOYD — 
HICKMAN BEGINS TO GET SICK OP BRIGHAMISM — MUR- 
DER OF DROWN AND ARNOLD — ^PUBLIC FEELING ON THE 
SUBJECT — BRIGHAM^S APPROVAL — HICKMAN^S TROUB- 
LE OF MIND — ^MISQIVINGS ABOUT MORMONISM, OR 
BRIGHAMISM — ^''iN TOO DEEP AND MUST GO ON'' — 
— ^BRIGHAM'S FALSE PROPHECIES — HICKMAN BEGINS 
TO THINK — ^DOUBT^ ANGUISH^ TERROR AND THOUGHTS 
OF FLIGHT. 

One Yates, a trader that had been in the country be- 
fore, had returned with five or six thousand dollars' 
worth of Indian goods, and stopped on Green Eiver. 
He had several kegs of powder, and a quantity of lead 
and caps. He was sent to, to purchase his ammunition, 
but would not sell it without selling his other goods also. 
JSTe came to 3ridger twice, buying beef cattle for the 



brigham's destroying angel. 123 

Government. Both times I went with him beyond all of 
our troops, to keep him from being hurt. He would 
trade at the soldier camps, then go to his house on Green 
Eiver, passing up and down Ham's Fork. We kept 
watch of the TJnited States camps every day, and if a 
party attempted to leave we would make a rush for them 
and run them into camp again. One day they moved up 
the creek about four miles, and we saw a vacancy be- 
tween them and their cattle. We made a rush and drove 
off seven hundred and fifty head, taking all the fat cattle 
they had, and some mules. Horses and mules were 
taken several times after this. 

About this time it was noised about that Yates had 
let the soldiers have his ammunition, and that he was 
acting the spy for them. One of the Conover boys was 
on a point near Ham's Fork one day, and saw a lone 
man traveling towards Green Eiver; he got ahead of 
him, saw he had a good horse, and halted him, intending 
to take his horse and let him go. But, after learning 
his name, Yates, he marched him to Bridger, where he 
was placed in the big stone corral and a guard placed 
over him. I was not there when he was brought in, 1 
came to Bridger a few days after he was taken. Think- 
ing there would be no particular use for ine for a week 
or two, I concluded to go home and get some fresh 
horses, and take home three or four of my men that 
needed rest. 

I will here state that the office I held was that of inde- 
pendent captain, amenable to none but the head com- 
manding general or governor, Brigham Young, unless 



i 



124 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

my services were particularly needed, in which case I 
was under obligations to act in concert with other 
officers. 

When ready to start I was asked to take the prisoner, 
Yates, to the city with me, and agreed to do so. The 
men with me were a brother of mine, T. J. Hickman, 
who had come from the States with me the summer pre- 
vious, John Flack and Lewis Meacham. There was a 
common trace-chain on Yates* ankle, fastened with a 
padlock. He had a fine gold watch and nine hundred 
dollars in gold, all in twenty-dollar gold pieces. The 
money was given to me to bring into the city with the 
prisoner, but the watch was kept, and what became of 
it I never knew. 

We traveled about fifty miles and camped on Yellow 
Creek. The next morning we traveled about half-way 
down Echo Canon to where the general's headquarters 
were located, and got breakfast. I delivered General 
Wells some letters, reported myself, and told him who I 
had along, and asked him what I should do with my 
prisoner. He said: "He ought to be killed; but take 
him on; you will probably get an order when you get 
to Col. Jones* camp" — which was at the mouth of Echo 
Canon on Weber River. After breakfast we started for 
Jones' camp, some twelve miles distant, and when with- 
in three or four miles of the camp, we met Joseph A. 
Young, a son of Brigham's, going, as he said, to the 
generals camp to take orders. He hailed me (I being 
behind) and said his father wanted that man Yatt^s 



brioiiam's destroying angel. 125 

ft 

killed, and that I would know all about it when I got 
to Jones' camp. 

We got there about sundown, and were met outside by 
Col. Jones, and conducted around under the hill, below 
and just 'outside of his camp. He had a fire built for 
us and sent oiir horses out, under guard, to grass. He 
then took me aside and told me he had orders when 
Yates came along to have him uso<l up, and that was 
why he had taJcen me outside of his camp. Supper was 
brought to us, and Yates soon went to sleep on his blan- 
kets. FJack and ^feacham spread their blankets and 
soon went to sleep also. I told them to do it, as I would 
guard the prisoner until I calle<l them, ^[y brother, 
being a Gentile, had been sent on to the next station, 
some ten miles ahead, on business. I remained at our 
camp-fire until eleven or twelve o'clock that night, sev- 
eral coming and chatting with me. 

About this time all was still, and everybody supposed 
to be in their beds. Xo person was to be seen, when Col. 
Jones and two others, Hosea Stout and another man 
whose name I do not recollect, came to my camp-fire 
and asked if Yates was asleep. I told them he was, 
upon which liis brains were knocked out with an ax. 
He was covered up with his blankets and left laying. 
Picks and spades were brought, and a grave dug some 
three feet deep near the camp by the fire-light, all hands 
assisting. Flack and Meacham were asleep when the 
man was killed, but woke up and saw the grave digging. 
The body was put in and the dirt well packed on it, 
after which our camp-fire, which consisted of small wood 



126 CONFESSION OP BILL HIOKMAN. 

and brush, was moved onto the grave in order to pre- 
vent notice of a change of ground.* Our horses were 
immediately sent for, and we were off before daylight; 
went to the next station, found my brother, got break- 
fast, and arrived at Salt Lake that day. 

The next day I took the nine hundred dollars, and we 
all went to headquarters. Flack and I had a talk, as 
we went, about the money. He said Brigham ought to 
give that to us as we had already been to more expense 
than that money amounted to, from horses used up and 
other losses, and urged me to get it. I told him I 
woiQd try, saying to him: "You know how much I 
have been out, and can testify to it, and I think he will 
give us part of it, anyway.^^ 

Soon after dark Flack and I went to Brigham^s office. 
He asked how things were going on out East, and I 
told him. He asked what had become of Yates ? I told 
him. He then asked if I had got word from him? I 
told him that I had got his instructions at Jones' camp, 
and also of the word I had got from his son Jo. He 
said that was right, and a good thing. I then told him 
I had nine hundred dollars given me to bring in, that 
Yates had at the time he was captured. I told him of 
the expense I had been to during the war, and asked 
him if I might have part of the money? He gave me 
a reprimand for asking such a thing, and said it must 
go towards defraying the expenses of the war. I pulled 
out the sack containing the money, and he told me to 
give it to his clerk (I do not remember who he was 

See Appendix — E. 



bbioham's destroying anqel. 127 

now). The money was counted, and we left. This 
knocked all the Mormonism out of Flack, and he has 
never had a speck of it in him since — making many 
observations of this and other things, of hard work, 
obeying Brigham Young, and never allowed one dollar 
for all he had done. 

In a few days I returned East, and found Yates^ goods 
and all his property had been taken, and stock belong- 
ing to him and other mountaineers. Soon afterwards 
Sydney A. Johnston came to the army, took command, 
and started for Bridger. We gave way, burned the fort, 
and fell back to Bear Eiver^^ forty miles west. At this 
time all the able-bodied men in the Territory were called 
out. Fortifications were erected at the mouth of Echo 
Canon, and the troops concentrated there, while con- 
stant guards were kept circling around Bridger. 

Johnston arrived there and took possession of all that 
was left — a stone fort and corral — and commenced prep- 
arations for winter quarters. As soon as this was ascer- 
tained, our troops began to be liberated and sent home. 
Snow fell deep, and finally all went home except a few 
guards who were left to watch the movements of the 
United States Army. There was a great lack of goods 
and groceries in Salt Lake that winter, as the merchant 
traders were not allowed to come in with their goods as 
had usually been the case. 

After being at home some time, word was sent to me 
to have my boys look for a man that had got away from 
a party at what was called the Point of the Mountain, 
twenty-five miles south of Salt Lake City. Two boys 



I 



128 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

who were living with me went up the river and returned 
about noon, and two hours later a messenger came from 
the city and told me I was wanted at Brigham Young's 
oflBce immediately. I mounted my horse and was in 
town in an hour, and went to Young's oflBce. He asked 
me if I ^^ad seen the boys ?'^ I asked him what boys ? 
and he answered, ^^Geo. Grant and William Kimball.'' 
I told him I had not. I then told him I had got word 
to come to his oflSce, and wished to know what was want- 
ing. He answered: "The boys have made a bad job 
of trying to put a man out of the way. .They all got 
drunk, bruised up a fellow, and he got away from them 
at the Point of the Mountain, came back to this city, 
and is telling all that happened, which is making a big 
stink.^' He said 1 mast get him out of the way and use 
him up. He told me to go and find tlie boys, meaning 
Generals Grant and Kimball, they both being acting 
generals in the Utah militia at that time, and arrange 
things with them, so as to have him taken care of. 

I found them, and they told me 0. P. Eockwell, witB 
a party, had made a bad job and wanted help, and I had 
been sent for to wind it up. Said they: "Did Brig- 
ham tell you what was up ?" I told them he did, and 
had sent me to arrange things. They told me they had 
things fixed; that when the party, to which this man 
belonged, first came into the Territory, they had all 
stopped twelve miles north of the city, and remained 
several weeks in the neighborhood where George Dalton 
lived; that Dalton was in town, and they had got him 
to see this man (whose name I never heard, only he was 



brigham's destroying angel. 129 

called Buck), and take him home with him, for he had 
confidence in Dalton. They said Dalton understood il, 
and they were waiting for me to come and meet him 
on the road. They tlien hunted up Dalton, and told 
him they had things all right now. Dalton was to leave 
town a little before sundown, and pass the Hot Springs 
three miles north of the city; and take the lower road 
on which there was not much travel, and I was to meet 
him. I was to know his team because both of his horses 
were white, and he was to drive very fast. 

All being arranged, and the sun about an hour high, 
I got my horse, and the question was then asked how 
many men I wanted to go with me. I told them I did 
not want anyone. They said I must have somebody, 
and I told them then I would take a man that was stand- 
ing by, by the name of Meacham. They got him a horse, 
and we went to the place appointed, and just at dark 
the wagon came. We called to it to halt. The man. 
Buck, got a shot through the head, and was put across 
the fence in a ditch. A rag was hung on a brush to 
know the place. 

We returned to the city to Gen. Grant's, as per agree- 
ment, and found him at home with Gen. Kimball, 0. P. 
Eockwell, and somebody else whose name I do not rec- 
ollect now. They asked if all was right, and I told 
them it was. They got spades, and we all went back, 
deepened the ditch, put him in and buried him, returned 
to Grant's, took some whisky, and separated for the 
night. The next day Kimball and I went to Brigham 
Young's, told him that Buck was taken care of, and 



130 CONFESSION OF BILL HIOKMAN. 

there would be no more stink about his stories. He said 
he was^lad of it. Buck was the last one of the Aiken's 
party, of whom there has been considerable said.* I 
never saw any of them but this man, and him I never 
saw until I saw him in the wagon that evening. 

Much was said that winter with regard to Johnston's 
army coming in. Arming, equipping, and a general 
preparation for fighting was the sole talk and business. 
During the winter Col. Kane, from Washington, came 
to Salt Lake City to assist in settling affairs. He went 
to Fort Bridger and then to Washington. Brigham 
Young told the people to gather up and start south, and 
such another moving was scarce ever seen. 

About this time President Buchanan sent Gov. Pow- 
ell, of Kentucky, and Ben. McCullough to Salt Lake 
to settle the difficulty. Brigham Young and some 
twenty-five of the principal men of Utah got together. 
Some speechifying took place concerning the former 
treatment of the people. The Governor told us the con- 
sequences of further resistance, and promised peace in 
case of submission. Brigham Young sat and heard all 
that was said, then got up and said : ^TVell, boys, we 
will have to let them come in — it is for the best; but 
never mind, I will take care of you.'' I was one of the 
party. 

Johnston came ih and camped on the west side of the 
city, and sent word to Brigham that if he did not come 
back and occupy his houses, they would be taken pos- 
session of by the United States troops. Brigham was 

♦See Appendix — F. 



132 CONFESSION OF BILL HIOKMAN. 

only fifty miles south, in Utah Valley, with the princi- 
pal portion of the inhabitants of Salt Lake City and the 
noi-thern part of the Territory, and the word immedi- 
ately went forth, "Everybody to their homes/^ General 
Johnston moved his troops to Cedar Valley, forty miles 
south of Salt Lake City, and built the place known as 
Camp Floyd. This was in the spring of 1858. Gov. A. 
Cummings was appointed to succeed Brigham Young, 
and new judges and marshal were appointed. 

D. E. Eckles, of Indiana, was chief justice, originally 
a Kentuckian, and a fine clever old gentleman. 1 did 
not get acquainted with him for several months after 
his arrival in the Territory, but after I did I spent many 
a social evening with him. By writs of habeas corpus 
I got seven or eight persons out of the probate court 
jurisdiction and placed them before his honor; gained 
my case every time by the rulings of the court against 
probate jurisdiction in criminal cases. 

Prejudice existed against me in the United States 
Army in consequence of the well-known course I had 
taken, and I did not go about them; while others who 
had lain back and shoved others ahead that had nerve 
enough to drive off government stock, now came around, 
saying, "We have done nothing,^^ and got good fat con- 
tracts. Much money was lavishly spent, but I got none, 
and these half -handed Mormon officials would say : "If 
it were not for such men as Bill Hickman there would 
be no trouble in our country." It seemed as much as 
to say: "You have done our fighting and we have no 
jnore use for you." I looked at this state of affairs and 



brigham's destroying angel. 133 

thought what a fool I had been. I had spent the fall 
and winter before, used up several head of horses, and 
spent a couple of thousand dollars ; had assisted in driv- 
ing in one thousand head of cattle, horses, and mules, 
and had not received one cent for it; and now others 
were making money, while I was compelled to lay back. 
I said to myself : "This has to do this time, but I will 
try to keep my foot out after this/^ 

I had a sociable time with all the merchants and trad- 
ers; but, they being speculators, I had no chance to 
make anything with them. I sold one of the sutlers 
two thousand dollars^ worth of beef cattle at a fair fig- 
ure, and a few horses at a good price, which was the 
principal business I did that winter. 

During this summer a man by the name of Drown, 
who had left Salt Lake in ^51, returned. His common 
character was not good. He was charged with stealing 
horses and cattle before he went away, and was threat- 
ened with shooting; but, on his return, promised to quit 
all his bad practices, paid a widow woman two hundred 
dollars for a horse he had stolen from her before he 
left, and seemed to be doing right. But this summer 
he commenced running to Camp Floyd and telling all 
the bad stories on the Mormons he knew or could invent, 
so said. I was at Brigham Young's office one day, and 
a man by the name of Matthews went with me and sat 
outside of the door while Brigham and myself had a 
talk, in which Drown's name was mentioned. Young 
said he was a ^T^ad man, and should be used up," and 



134 CONFESSION OP BILL HICKMAN. 

instructed me to do it, and put a stop to his carrying 
news and horse-stealing. 

After getting through talking with him I came out 
and started off with Matthews, who said : "I have got 
you this time, and you have done enough; I heard what 
Brigham told you, and I will attend to that.^^ I told 
him to never mind, and maybe the man would be better. 
That night a party got together to give a serenade to 
one of the editors (Seth M. Blair) of a newspaper just 
started, called the Mountaineer. Some dozen of us rode 
down to his house, gave him a few hurras, which were 
answered by him, and a few short speeches ensued. 
When we got back into Main Street, we heard Drown 
had been shot in the thigh also. I knew nothing of 
how it was done, not knowing Drown was in the city 
until I heard he was shot. The next day I saw Mat- 
thews, who told me he found Drown was in town, got 
two men and went to the house he was stopping at; 
knocked at the door, but was refused admittance, when 
he kicked in the door, shot Drown, and started running 
around the house, and m^t a man who he supposed to 
be Drown, shot at him, and kept on. This happened to 
be a man by the name of Arnold, a very quiet, unassum- 
ing, good old man, who was in the house with Drown, 
and ran out to see who had done the shooting. The 
shot took effect in his thigh, from which he afterward 
died.* 

Much has been said about the killing of Drown and 
Arnold, and it has been laid to me; but these are the 

* See Appendix— G. 



brigham's destroying angel. 135 

facts just as they occurred. Were it otherwise I would 
state it as plainly as I have other things. This being 
a matter much talked about at times, and as Arnold 
has boys who feel bad about their father being killed, 
they may know, if they wish, the truth of the wHole 
aflfair. No doubt they have and will be told other stories 
by those that know I have stated the truth, in order to 
screen themselves and throw censure on me, and lead 
the boys to believe in their innocence and know-nothing- 
ism about the afEair, which is no uncommon thing among 
a certain class. Some time after this I was at Brigham 
Young's office, and the subject of Drown's death came 
up. He said he was glad; it was a good thing, and as 
far as Arnold was concerned, he had no business to be 
in such company. 

That summer Charles Harrison had a horse stolen 
from Camp Floyd, which he had bought in Salt Lake 
City. Hearing it was at Ogden, forty miles north, he 
got me to go with him to prove his horse; he also got 
William Woodland, and a man by tiie name of "Cub*' 
Johnson went along. We stayed in Ogden one day, and 
the next day started back, Johnson getting his brother 
and wife, who had lived there, in a carriage to bring 
them to the city. A man by the name of Beatty, or 
Batey, a Califomian, who was staying at Ogden, said 
he was going to the city, and would overtake us. 

When he came up he rode past us to the top of the 

hill, and Johnson said: ^'What is that d d rascal 

doing here? I will settle with him.'' I told him to 
behave himself, and supposed all would be quiet, but 



136 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

on reaching the summit he rode up b}' Batey^s side and 
slapped him in the face, and Batey slapped him in re- 
turn. By this time Johnson liad his pistol out and shot 
him. He, however, knocked the pistol down and the shot 
struck him in the hip. Batey drew his pistol, and Johil- 
son knocked it down as he fired, and it took no efiEect. 
Batey then put spurs to his horse and rode off some 
twenty or thirty steps and turned around, facing John- 
son, upon which Johnson shot him dead. 

The people living near by were notified of it, and 
Batey's body was taken to Farmington, eighteen miles 
north of the city, and Johnson was arraigned before the 
probate court. It was made to appear that Batey had 
said something to Johnson^s brother's wife that was not 
right, and Johnson secured his acquittal by giving the 
county prosecuting attorney a twenty-dollar piece.* 
Some of the stand-ups are even now, while lying seems 
to be piled up as a fortification for others, saying I killed 
Batey and took his watch, and this because I got a watch 
from Harrison, who I was with at the time of the mur- 
der. I got two gold watches from Harrison, and then 
he left the country owing me three hundred and fifty 
dollars. The evidence is in the county if the grand 
jury wish to look up the case. 

I do not state this as anything of my affair; but as 
I am giving everything of note that came under my 
observation, give this. ***** 

* Sf-e Appendix— H. 



BRIGHAM^S DESTROYING ANGEL. 137 

BY THE EDITOR. 

At this point Hickman gives a voluminous account of his 
doubts of Brigham Young, the beginning of his skepticism 
and consequent trouble, which I compress to a few points. 

He had been a wild, hard boy in Missouri, had mar- 
ried very young, and joined the Methodist Church soon 
after; by nature an enthusiast, all the wild energy of 
his character found vent in the emotional exercises of 
that sect, and in hot controversy and theological debate. 
Those observant of religious vagaries in men of more 
fervor than judgment will not wonder that he reacted 
from that extreme to the extreme of a hard literalism 
in Bible doctrine; that his fancy was caught and his 
judgment captivated by the glorious vision of the An- 
cient Church restored, with prophets, apostles, and ^^iv- 
ing oracles^^ of the Hebrew Jehovah, repeating in the 
wilds 'of America all that wonderful stor}' of a gathered 
Israel fighting its way to a promised land. Many minds 
will sympathize with this feeling. Of uncultivated con- 
scientiousness and terrible earnestness, he had just 
enough misguided enthusiasm to easily believe himself 
one of "God^s ministers to smite the enemies of Zion." 
The Old Testament, the vantage-ground of Mormonism, 
when taken as our rule of faith, abounds in bloody exam- 
ples, which this kind of literalism easily turns into 
bloody teachings; polygamy is not half so easily proved, 
therefrom, as 'T)lood atonement.'^ The young men of 
Israel served God by shedding the blood of His enemies. 
A part of the congregation rebelled, the adherents of 



138 CONFESSION OF BILL HIOKMAN. 

Moses massacred them; a few thousand took idolatrous 
wives, and their brethren slaughtered them ; Sisera tyr- 
annized over God^s people, and Jael killed him ; Athalia 
usurped the government, the high priest had her slain ; 
Eglon set up a despotism, and Ehud stabbed him. 

From these records Mormonism draws the inspiration 
of its doctrines — ^polygamy along with the rest. Then 
all the native earnestness of Hickman turned to relig- 
ious fanaticism: anything was "God^s service^^ which 
^T)uilt up the kingdom^^ ; anyone who stood in the way 
was an enemy of God; Brigham was the "mouth-piece 
of God to this generation,^^ and Hickman was to obey 
his orders even to smiting all who would 'liinder the 
march of Israel.^^ But there came a time when he could 
no longer believe so implicitly. His first doubts, by his 
statement, were caused by the numerous prophecies ut- 
tered by Brigham before the Mormon War, every one of 
which proved untrue. It is a singular fact that in the 
Mormon journals themselves are found scores of pre- 
dictions and statements by Brigham which have been 
utterly falsified. Besides, -Hickman got to know him 
too well. "Familiarity breeds contempt,^^ even with a 
prophet. There are so many petty meannesses in the 
business management of Brigham Young, and so many 
social errors and acts of personal injustice in intercourse 
with others, that a majority of those who know him 
most intimately are apostates. 

Often when Hickman was reporting to him, he pro- 
nounced persons guilty of certain crimes of which Hick- 
man, from hia better knowledge of the facts, knew they 



brigham's destroying angel. 139 

were innocent. Soon after the foul murder of Hartley, 
Hickman was thoroughly convinced that he was an inno- 
cent man. In his conversation with me, that was the 
only one of all his crimes to which he referred witB 
horror. Though "seared as with a hot iron/^ no con- 
science could sustain that dreadful burden and be at 
ease. But by this time Hickman had gone too far. He 
had begun as an executor of lynch law justice, killing 
men actually guilty of crime. From that he killed those 
the Church pronounced guilty; then, by a gradation in 
crime, which aU such biographies show to be natural, he 
killed whomsoever Brigham Young and Orson Hyde 
told him to; and lastly, so regular is the growth of 
crime in man, he killed on his own account. 

According to his statement, he would gladly have left 
Utah in 1860 could he have done so with his family; 
but he knew too much, and before he could safely break 
with the Church he had fighting of his own to do. 

The remaining history of his life is a melancholy rec- 
ord of struggles — against the Church on one side and 
personal enemies on the other. 



CHAPTER V I. 
FEOM 1858 TO 1865. 

MURDER OF FRANKLIN m'NEAL — STEALING GOVERNMENT 
STOCK — FIGHT WITH THE THIEVES — HUNTINGTON 
SHOOTS HICKMAN — BARBAROUS SURGERY — ATTEMPT 
TO KILL HICKMAN — KILLING OF JOE RHODES — HICK- 
MAN^S PROPERTY ^"^CONFISCATED^^ — ^DEPARTURE OF THE 
ARMY — CAMP FLOYD — GOV. GUMMING LEAVES — GOV. 
DAWSON ARRIVES — HIS FLIGHT — OUTRAGE BY THE 
'"mormon boys'' — ^DELIGHT OF THE PEOPLE — MURDER 
OF THE PRISONERS — JASON LUCE — ^HICKMAN GOES TO 
MONTANA — INDIAN TROUBLES — RESCUES A TRAIN — 

ARRIVAL OP GEN. CONNOR AND GOV. HARDING CRUEL 

TREATMENT OF THE MORRISITES — HICKMAN BECOMES 

GEN. Connor's guide — connor and hickman in- 
augurate MINING IN UTAH — ^BRIGHAM YOUNG OFFERS 
HICKMAN $1,000 TO KILL GEN. CONNOR — HICKMAN 
IN TROUBLE — HE FLIES TO NEVADA — TERRORS BY THt 
WAY — FOLLOWED BY THE DA^ITES, BUT ESCAPES — 
RETURNS, AND SUFFERS FROM MORMON HOSTILITY. 

Winter came on, times were lively, and money plenty. 

One McN"eal, who was arrested in the winter of ^57, 

when he came from Bridger to Salt Lake City, for the 

purpose of making a living, and kept in custody some 

ibree or four months by order of Gov. Brigham Young, 



brigham's destroying angel. 141 

instituted a suit before the United States district court 
against Brigham to the amount of, I think, ten thou- 
sand dollars. McNeal came^ to the city from Camp 
Floyd during the winter, and word was sent to the Poys, 
as the hillers were called, to give him a using up. The 
word was sent around after dark, but McNeal could not 
be found that night, and the next morning he was off 
to camp again, and did not return until the next sum- 
mer. I came to town one afternoon, and heard he was 
upstairs at Sterritt^s tavern, drunk. Darkness came on 
and we got the chamber-pot taken out of his room, so 
that he would in all probability come down when he 
awoke with whisky dead in him. Some five or six were 
on the look-out for him, and among the number was 
one Joe Ehodes, not a Mormon, but a cut-throat and a 
thief, who had had some serious difficulty with McNeal, 
and was sworn to shoot him, and I thought it best to 
let him do it. Some three or four were sitting alongside 
the tavern when he came down, it being dark and no 
lights in front. Ehodes followed him around the house 
and shot him in the alley. McNeal shot at Ehodes once, 
but missed him. McNeal lived until the next day, and 
died, not knowing who shot him ; neither did any other 
person, except those who sat by the side of the tavern. 
It made considerable stir, but no detection could be 
made as to who did it. All passed off, and one day 
when at Brigham Young's office, he asked me who killed 
McNeal. I told him, and he said that was a good thing; 
that dead men tell no tales. The law-suit was not pros- 
ecuted any further. At this time there was considerable 



I 



142 CONFESSIOK OF BILL HICKMAN. 

stock-stealing from the Government, and, in fact, all 
over the country, from both Gentiles and Mormons. I 
did all I could to get those whom I knew of, or was ac- 
quainted with, to quit and behave themselves; but it 
seemed to have no effect. I threatened to get after them 
if they did not stop. Some then quit it, but others con- 
tinued, and swore it was none of my business. A few 
of them took thirty head of mules from a Government 
freighter and started for southern California; got otie 
hundred and fifty miles on their road, when they were 
overtaken and brought back by Porter Eockwell and 
others. As the freighter only wanted his mules, the 
thieves were turned loose. I was accused of finding this 
out and sending after them, and shortly afterward seven 
of them caught me in the edge of town and surrounded 
me, swearing they would shoot me for having them cap- 
tured. Three pistols were cocked on me. I tried to 
argue the case with them, but the more I said the worse 
they raged, until I thought they would shoot me any- 
how.~ The crowd consisted of about half Gentiles and 
half Mormons. Believing that shooting was about to 
commence, and seeing no other show but death or des- 
peration, I jerked a revolver from each side of my belt, 
cocked them as they came out, and, with one in each 
hand, told them if fight was what they must have, to 
turn loose; that I was ready for them, and wanted just 
such a one as they were able to give. I cursed them for 
cowards and thieves: when they weakened and became 
quite reasonable. This all passed off, but I could hear 
of threats being made by them every few days; when 



144 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

one day I came to town and met Mr. Gerrish, of the 
well-known firm of Gilbert & Gerrish, who said : '1 
was just going to send for you ; we had seventeen head 
of horses and mules taken out of our corral last night." 
I told him it had been done by some of the Johnson 
gang, and I would travel around town and see them; 
that they were a set of rascals, and I would try bribery. 
I found this Joe Rhodes of whom I have spoken. He 
denied knowing anything about them. I told him I 
would give him fifty dollars if he would tell me 
where they wei-e. He then asked if I would betray 
him to the others that were concerned in it. I 
told him I would not. He then told me if I would 
give him fifty dollars down, and fifty dollars more when 
the animals were recovered, he would tell me, and I 
would be sure to get them. I saw Gerrish, and he told 
me to go ahead and use my own judgment about them. 
I paid Rhodes the $50 ; he then told me they were about 
fifteen miles away on the river, hid in the brush, and 
would be there until after dark ; then they intended run- 
ning them south and keeping away from the settlements, 
and so get them through to California. He described 
the place so that there could be no trouble to find it. 
Knowing of the antipathy of the gang against me, 1 
sent two men, who found the stock at the place de- 
scribed, and no one with them, and brought them to the 
owners. The gang was very angry at this, and swore 
they would kill the man that had betrayed them. Not 
many days after this, the traitor to his own party, 
RhodeSy said I had played him, and he unthoughtedly 



BRIQHAM^S DESTROYING ANGEL. 145 

had told me something about the anim'als, but thought 
as they were Gentiles I would say nothing about it. This 
was enough — ^he never told them that he had done it 
and got a $100 for doing so. They commenced watch- 
ing for me, and I for them. One Christmas day follow- 
ing I went to the city, all the time watching this party. 
I stepped through an alley while waiting for our teams. 
This was their chance. Some half a dozen of them, 
well whiskied, met me; only one of my friends seeing 
them. The only brave man amongst them drew his re- 
volver and attempted to shoot me. I caught his pistol, 
and would have killed him with my knife, but the scoun- 
drels shouted, ^TDon^t kill him! don^t kill him!^^ and 
stepped up and took hold of him. I did not want to 
kill him. I had known him from a boy, and had pre- 
viously liked him ; but these scamps had roped him in, 
and were shoving him into places where they dare not 
go. I did not see who all the crowd were, but saw two 
other revolvers drawn on me. This friend of mine says 
to them: ^^Don't shoot; if you do, I will kill you/' I 
let Huntington go, supposing his friends would take 
care of him, as he was the aggressor, and I had spared 
his life. I put my knife back in the scabbard, and 
turned to look for Huntington, when I saw him leveling 
his revolver on me, not more than ten feet off; I gave 
my body a swing as he fired, and the ball struck my 
watch, which was in my pants^ pocket, glanced, and 
struck me in the thigh, went to the bone, and passed 
around on the side of it. I then drew my pistol; but 
before I coidd fire he shot again, and started to run. 



i 



146 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

I shot him as he ran, in the hip, and the ball passed into 
his thigh ; but he kept running. I followed him up the 
street and shot at him four times more, but did not hit 
him. I was taken to a house, and Dr. * * * * and 
another, the two best Mormon surgeons in the city, were 
sent for. They split the flesh on the inside and out- 
side of my thigh to the bone, hunting the ball, and 
finally concluded they could not find it, then went away 
and reported I would die sure. I sent for other physic- 
ians, and the next morning when they came to see me, 
I told them I had no further use for them, as my thigh 
swelled and inflamed so that ice had to be kept on it 
most of the time for three weeks. Then Dr. Hobbs, of 
the U. S. Army, a cousin of my wife, came to see me, 
bringing with him a board of physicians from Cajnp 
Floyd. They examined my leg, and pronounced the 
surgery which had been performed on me a dirty piece 
of butchery, and said : ^TV^ere it not out of respect to 
the profession, we would say they had poisoned it.'^ But 
when it was finally opened, behold! out of it came a 
dirty green piece of cotton, saturated with something, 
I do not know what, which the butchers had left in it 
weeks before ! 'No wonder they were sure I would die, 
after leaving that in my leg. While in this situation, 
these thieves continued their threats to make a break 
into the house where I laid helpless, and make, a finish 
of me. This Ehodes was the one appointed to do that, 
as was told on the streets. Rhodes had become obnox- 
ious to all but his pariy of thieves. He got drunk one 
daj;, and swore he would finish me before he slept. I 



I- 



brigham's destroying angel. 147 

had good and trusty men staying with me constantly. 
Khodes came, as he had said, and wanted to go into the 
room where I iwas, but was told that he could not. He 
swore he would, drew two revolvers, and swore nobody 
could hinder him. He started for the door, and Jason 
Luce ran a bowie-knife through him. He fell on the 
floor, and never spoke. This was the end of Joe Ehodes. 
Luce was tried and acquitted. 

I lay in the city three months and was given up to 
die. I finally was hauled home, but was not able to go 
on crutches for six months, and never expected to get 
over it, as I have twice come near dying with it since. 
I had the fall before bought a few hundred head of oxen 
which had hauled freight across the plains. My stock 
was neglected, and I lost a good number of them while 
I was lying wounded. There was little attention paid 
to any violation of law there, unless it was a case that 
was prosecuted by some of the principal men of the city. 
This case of mine passed unnoticed by the law ; and the 
general saying was : "It was a pity to have a diflBculty 
amongst our own people.^^ 

The summer following — '59 — ^the troops were to move 
from Camp Floyd, and a sale was made of almost every 
thing except ammunition, which was destroyed. The 
property sold very low — flour, by the 100-pound sack, 50 
cents; bacon, one-fourth of a. cent per pound; whisky, 
25 cents per gallon; and other things in proportion. 
I bought ten wagon-loads. The barracks were sold to 
those who pulled them down and hauled away the lum- 
ber; and there has not been a house in the old barracks 



148 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

for eight or nine years. The little settlement adjoining 
across the creek, known as the town of Fairfield, is a 
nice little village, but is called Camp Floyd, which is 
my present residence, and has been for the last four 
years, ever since I left my place ten miles south of Salt 
Lake City. There was rejoicing when the troops left 
the Territory. They had come here, spent a great quan- 
tity of money, and went away without hurting anybody 
— a victory, of course. 

Gov. Cumming left the next spring, '60. The next 
fall another was appoined — Gov. Dawson — who, after 
being here a few months, was said to have used some 
seductive language to a woman in the city, which 
raised great indignation against him. He became 
alarmed, and made preparations to leave, and a com- 
pany of the young roughs were selected to follow him 
out and give him a beating. Five went ahead to the 
mail station and awaited his arrival, and when he came 
they gave him a tremendous beating; it is said he died 
from the effects. It was known the next day in town, 
and most of the people rejoiced over the beating the 
Governor had got. 

This continued for several days, until the word had 
reached the States, which made a terrible stink on the 
Mormons, about the manner in which they had treated 
the Government official. ^ The newspapers teemed with 
Mormon outrages. This changed things, and then 
Brigham Young on the stand gave the men who had 
beaten the Governor an awful raking down, and said 
that they ought to have their throats cut. Two of them 



brighah's destroying angel. 149 

were arrested and put in prison, and he forbid any per- 
son bailing them out. They went for two more, and 
they fled, taking with them another man, a friend of 
theirs. They were followed about seventy-five miles; 
one of them refused to be taken, and he was shot with a 
load of buckshot, and only lived a few minutes. The 
other two were captured and brought to the city, show- 
ing no resistance. 

They reached the city in the night and were given to 
the police to put them in prison. While going to the 
prison they were both shot dead, and the cry was raised 
that they undertook to get away. That was nonsense. 
They were both powder-burnt, and one of them was shot 
in the face. How could that be, and they running? 
This went down well enough with some; but it was too 
plain a case with thinking men, and especially those 
who knew the manner in which those men did such 
things. A great blow was made as a set-oflf, how the 
people killed all who would treat Government oflScials 
as these had the Governor — ^innocence was declared by 
everybody but the gang who had done it, and three of 
them were killed, and they said they wished the others 
to share the same fate. . After the other two had been 
in prison about two months, I went and bailed Jason 
Luce out. The other got bail in a few days. I then 
learned all the particulars. Jason told me that he was 
called on by Bob Golden, who was captain of the police, 
constable, and deputy sheriff, to go in the country with 
the others and give the Governor a good beating. Gold- 
en s^id he had his instructions wlasA, ^KjYcK^^i ^^-^^^ "Vj^s^r. 



150 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

went to obey orders, expecting to be protected if any 
trouble should arise from it, he himself having nothing 
against the Governor, and did not so much as know him. 
Luce did not like his treatment, and made ^- business of 
telling how the affair was. This got Golden down on 
him, and from that time it seemed that his destruction 
was sought* 

These things caused a division in feeling among the 
people; not open, but there was much private talk about 
such a course of things, which exists until this day. 
Many of the thinking better class of the people are dis- 
gusted with the abominable course taken by the so-called 
officials, killing off far better boys than their own or 
many that roamed the country. But their idea was to 
kill those they did not like, whether guilty of anything 
or not, as has been done to hide their own crimes, as 
well as to vent their spite, regardless of right or wrong. 
This dirty gang of the so-called police commenced about 
this time, and have done so well they have been kept in 
office ever since. I will say more about them when I 
come to the year of their actions. 

There was nothing uncommon transpired in '60-^61 
more than every once in a while, somebody being killed 
— some Mormons and some Gentiles — some, it was said, 
was for stealing and some for seduction, while some of 
the greatest scoundrels ran untouched. They were good 
fellows, counsel-obeying curses, and had their friends. 

In the summer of ^62 I went to Montana after some 
FJathead. Indian horses I had bought the year before 

^^ See Append\x— 1. 



brigham's destroying angel. 151 

of the old mountaineer, Bob Denipsy; and that year the 
Indians were very bad, killing off several trains that 
were going to California and Oregon on the route north 
of Salt Lake. This year there was a great cry of Big 
gold diggings on Salmon Eiver, and a good-sized emi- 
gration started to that place. I started in company with 
two boys from here and six Califomians, and fell in 
with a compajiy of forty from Colorad*o seventy-five 
miles north on our road. We organized and traveled 
together. I was unanimously chosen to take dharge of 
the company. We traveled to Deer-lodge Valley in Mon- 
tana in peace, had a good, jovial set of men and no diffi- 
culty. Here iwe learned that the Salmon Eiver diggings, 
where the gold was, was four hundred miles further off ! 
Several hundred were alike fooled : some went one' way 
and some another, while about one-third commenced 
pirospeoting in that country for gold. We organized in 
iihree companies, twenty or thirty in a company, to go 
in different directions. The company I was in found 
gold in different places, but not in paying quantities. 

I got my horses of Dempsey, and concluded to return 
home ; got on my road, prospecting along the way, when 
word came that gold had been found in great quanti- 
ties where East Banniack City now is. I wanted to stop 
and work awhile, but could not prevail on the five men 
that were going to Salt Lake to wait; and not knowing 
any other company going that fall, I concluded to go 
with them. Provisions were scarce, and none nearer 
than four hundred miles; some were entirely out then, 
and wished themselves away. Two came to me to know 



152 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

if I would not take them home with me — ^both poor men. 
One went by the name of Dutch John, and the other 
Irish Ned. Dutch John got a saddle, but poor Ned 
could find none he oould buy. I felt sorry ; the Indians 
being so bad that we thought it entirely unsafe to travel 
with wagons, so I had to leave Ned ; but gave him my 
claim, tools, and fifteen or twenty days' provisions, tell- 
ing him that was all I could do for him. 

But here I must tell the good luck of Ned and my 
bad luck. The next summer Ned went to the States 
with $42,000 that he took out of the claim I gave him. 
I got home the fall before with $2,000 worth of Indian 
horses. Here was the difference of one man in luck and 
another out of luck. 

Companies coming in told us there was no use of our 
trying to get through, for the Indians would be sure to 
kill us. But we had started, and all wanted to go ahead. 
The next morning I saw the signal Indian fires raised 
on the mountain, which were kept up all day, raising 
a smoke opposite us as much as a dozen times. We trav- 
eled until dark, got our supper, raised a big fire, and 
left; traveled fifteen or twenty miles, left the road and 
got into a deep hollow, where we had good grazing for 
our animals. The next morning we were off again, and 
so continued until we got to Snake Eiver, building fires 
and leaving them, the Indians following us all the while. 
But when we got to Snake Eiver, where we expected to 
be out of Indian troubles, no one was there. Tents were 
blown down, and wagon-covers flapping in the air, and 
^ver^tbing looked dismal. My company looked down in 



brigham's destboyikg anoel. 153 

the mouth. I cheered them up by saying we could whip 
all the Indians in the mountains. The ferry-boat was 
across the riveri One of my men swam the river, some 
two hundred yards wide, and brought the boat over. 
No signs could be seen of any person having been there 
for many days, and a more gloomy time I had never 
seen. The Indins had whipped trains where there were 
eighty men, all armed, and some large trains were all 
killed off — and we, only seven, all told, with forty-six 
head of horses and mules, all tired from our hard 
traveling. 

We crossed and struck for the mountain, where we 
could see all around, and let our animals rest until dark. 
When we started on again we saw fire-lights, and now 
the question was, "Indians or whites ?'' After traveling 
eighteen miles we got close enough to see that there was 
plenty of wagons — and began to cheer up, thinking we 
were safe, and rolled into camp, greatly alarming the 
people. The Indians had had them corralled four days, 
two trains together, with the ferrymen. Some of these 
mountaineers had squaws for wives, and two Indians 
with them. I was acquainted with the ferry party, but 
they were as badly scared as the others, knowing the 
Indians' intentions, and said there were five hundred of 
them circling their camp, and they were afraid to start. 
But as soon as it was known I was in camp there was a 
great shout, "We will* get out of here now I" Those that 
never had seen me would rush up and shake hands, as 
though there had a deliverer come, sure enough. The 
brandy kegs th^t bad lain at the bottom of their wagons 



154 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

since they left the Missouri River were raised and hand- 
ed out to us with as hearty a welcome as ever it was to 
a deliverer of a nation. This w^s very acceptable to 
us, for we were almost worn out, and had had no sleep 
for four nights. My six men looked astonished, to 
think we had passed through such danger, and asked ine 
if I had realized it. I told them I had, but had kept 
quiet, as they were all men I had not seen until in 
Montana* 

Next morning a big meeting was held, and I was 
unanimously chosen captain, with full power to do any- 
thing necessary to take them out of the country. We 
had one hundred and fifty men. I looked at them and 
thought that about one-third would be good fighting 
men, and about one-fourth would not fight at all. One 
man told me that some of the men said they would not 
fight. I then called the attention of the company, and 
a vote was taken that I had full power to enforce all 
orders that might be disobeyed. Upon which I informed 
them that I was a stranger to most of them; that I had 
been informed that there were some. in the company 
who said they would not fight, even if the Indians made 
an attack upon us. I asked the question, what should 
be done with such men, if found backing out in time of 
trouble. The cry was: ^^Do as you please with them, 
and we will back you up.^^ Then I gave orders, if any 
man refused to fight in time of trouble, to shoot him 
first; and if there were any who ])crsiste(l in such a 
course, to let me know, and if we had trouble they sihould 
be placed in front, and if they undertook to run or back 



156 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

out, we would first kill them, and have no dead weight 
to carry. 

A vote of the company, was taken to carry out that 
order. That was the last of men saying they would not 
fight. All were on hand at a moment's warning. 

We rode out, keeping'flanking guards and spies on all 
the mountain points around. I kept the train and stock 
snug together, and every man with his rifle on his shoul- 
der. Indians were constantly moving around us in dif- 
ferent ways. At night, all the stock that could be was 
tied, the balance was kept in the corral made with our 
wagons, and a double guard of sixteen men on all the 
time. We moved on finely until we got to the Bannack 
Mountain. Here we had to double teams; but only 
moved a short distance at a time — ^kept close together, 
with our spies on all the points around. Just as the 
last wagon had reached the summit, I saw a smoke 
rising at the foot of the mountain below ue. I saw 
through my opera-glass Indians coming from all direc- 
tions, and before we were out of sight there were sev- 
eral hundred gathered at the foot of the mountain where 
the smoke had been raised. We kept out flanking 
guards, while passing throug'h the mountain, some five 
OT six miles. We then got into the head of Malad Val- 
ley, where we had an open country to travel in to the 
settlement on Bear Eiver. The Indians gave up the 
chase, and did not follow us any farther. Two years 
after this. Gen. Connor having subdued these murder- 
ous Indians, I saw one that I had known on Green 
. Jliver some ei^ht ^ears before. I asked him if be bad 



BBIQHAM^S DESTROYING ANGEL. 157 

been one of the bad Indians murdering the whites two 
years before, and he said : "We did not kill you or your 
party/^ He then told me that five hundred of them had 
corralled two trains and the ferrymen, and that I had 
got to them when they did not know it. He told me 
he saw me the morning after I had got into their camp, 
but did not know who I was; but watched our move- 
ment, and soon found that a good captain had got 
amongst them. They could see no chance to run off 
stock or take the train, and became satisfied that some 
great war chief was with them. He said the morning 
that we crossed the Bannaok Mountain, he got into the 
rocks and covered himself up, only leaving a little hole 
to see out of, that he might see who that big captain was, 
and saw it was me. He said he went to the foot of the 
mountain and raised that smoke we -saw for the Indians 
to gather, and when they all had come, he told them 
that I was the captain, and they then concluded it was 
no use to try any longer, for I was a medicine man, and 
a great war chief. I thought he might be telling the 
truth, and he might not; at any rate I would not like 
to have trusted any of them at that time. 

We reached the settlements in good shape, and I went 
on home, seventy miles farther, and found everything 
right, and was aiming to live at home and be quiet, at- 
tend to farm stock, and raise my family in peace — ^not 
ever intending to again occupy any position in the 
Church, or as an oflBcer. I thrashed my grain, and sel- 
dom went to town. 



158 CONFESSION OP BILL HICKMAN. 

There had been a new governor appointed — Governor 
Harding, who, when I first came home, was spoken very 
highly of by the people. But soon the story changed, 
and he was said to be a bad man. About this time Gen. 
Connor — ^then Colonel — came from California with 
some three or four hundred troops. Much was s^id 
about troops coming into the Territory; but it was 
thought they would stop at Camp Floyd as before, and 
probably not be any detriment to the people. Connor 
had come ahead of his troops, and no person could fijid 
out what he was going to do; he never talked before- 
hand. He went back and met them, and when it was 
known that he had passed through Camp Floyd, word 
was sent to him by the head men that he would not be 
allowed to cross the Jordan Eiver, which he had to do 
to get to Salt Lake City. But this did not stop him; 
he kept up his march, crossed the river, and encamped 
within eight miles of the city. A delegation was sent 
to him to apologize, or rather deny any such word being 
sent to him by Mormon authority. The next day he 
passed through the city and on to the bench, and halted 
bis troops, and established Camp Douglas, which he 
afterwards built up mostly as it now stands. 

The Indians, who had been killing the emigrants for 
the last two years, had gathered near the north settle- 
ments, about one hundred and twenty-five miles north of 
Salt Lake City. The General sent scouts to seek out 
their situation, and the Indians sent him word to come 
on — they were ready, and could whip all his soldiers. 
The General went with a portion of his men in the win- 



brigham's destroying angel. ' 159 

ter weather, very cold. His men — most of them — 
waded Bear Eiver, and found the savages in a deep 
ravine running across Bear River Valley, where it was 
smooth and clear of knolls or brush, and he had to attack 
them while in this entrenchment. He had a two hours' 
' fight, and killed over four hundred. But few escaped 
that could be found, except the women and children, 
who were not hurt, only through mistake. He had six- 
teen men killed on the battle-field, and about as many 
wounded; and some of them died after he got back to 
camp. This, together with what he did the next spring 
and summer, broke up this murderous band. He got 
great praise ; and he truly deserved it. That band had 
killed off several trains of California and Oregon emi- 
igration — men, women, and children — sparing none. 
This was the same band of Shoshonees which had been 
after me and party. 

I had not, up to this time, made the acquaintance of 
Gov. Harding or Gen. Connor. I did not aspire to hon- 
ors or offices, knowing that it would militate against me 
to be sociable with them. On two or three occasions 1 
refused to go in the room where they were and be intro- 
duced to them. One day I was in the city, at Abel Gil- 
berths store; I saw the door of the back room open, and 
Mr. Gilbert and the Governor came out. I started out, 
knowing that my old friend Gilbert would introduce 
me, and I did not want to get into notice; but, before 1 
got out of the store, I was called back and introduced 
to the Governor, who said he had been anxious to see me 
ever since he had come to the Territory. 



160 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

I found him a frank, sociable old gentleman, but anx- 
ious to hear me talk, and get my views with regard to 
the rebellion that was then going on in the States, and 
a general expression of sentiments. I could not avoid 
talking, and finally told him I was Southern-raised, and 
owned negroes, but I thought it a shame to have good 
and honest men slain to gratify hot-headed aspirants. I 
told him that the honest men of our nation ought to 
have taken and hanged about 250 of those hot-headed, 
rampart Southerners, and about as many of those cursed 
Northern abolitioniste, and then put an estimate on the 
negroes, and make the negro-lovers pay a part, and also 
make the owners lose a part; then colonize them and 
keep a standing army of United States troops, to pre- 
vent either white men or negroes passing either in or 
out of their country, upon the penalty of death. The 
Governor laughed heartily at what he called my original 
sentiment. 

I thought I was through, and was about to start, when 
he says : "No, I want you to go back with me.^^ I went, 
and was introduced to Gen. Connor. The next time I 
went to town, I went, by invitation, and^pent the even- 
ing with the Governor; he became very much attached 
to me. He told me the course he had taken, and the 
lies that had been told on him, and also the threats that 
had been made against him; and asked me what I 
thought he had better do. I told him to attend to busi- 
ness, and act in his official position, fearless or regard- 
less of all consequences. He says to me, ^TVill you 
stand by mer^^ I told him I would, and he might de- 



brigham's destroying angel. 161 

pend on me if he had any trouble. Ever after this- we 
were the best of friends; and even after he left here, 
while Chief Justice of Colorado, he spoke in the highest 
terms of me in two or three publications he made in 
the Colorado papers. 

The summer previous to this, a sect known as Mor- 
risites arose, and established a church on Weber Eiver, 
forty miles north of Salt Lake City, under the guidance 
of one Joseph Morris as their prophet and leader. They 
sold their possessions owned by them at other places, and 
gathered to that place to prepare for great blessings 
that were to be given them from heaven through their 
prophet. They increased very fast, and were bold in 
advocating their doctrine. They were peaceable, and 
ignorant, as a general thing; but had some smart men 
amongst them, who seemed as steadfast in their belief 
as those of more ordinary talent. They were hissed and 
hooted at by those who wanted mischief, and some of 
them occasionally beaten. Some were arrested under 
pretense of being guilty of crime, and then would get 
misused and turned loose. 

Finally they made a declaration that they would not 
be arrested any more for nothing. This was enough. 
Writs were soon out, and a posse under Gen. Burton was 
sent to arrest all their principal men. He went some 
six hundred strong, taking with them a few pieces of 
artillery, and a fight ensued. Some were killed on both 
sides. Burton, with his men, shot Morris, and one or 
two of his principal men, after they had taken their 
place; and it is said that Burton shot a woman also who 



162 CONFESSION OF BILL HIOKMAN. 

sauced him. This is the affair for which Burton was 
indicted in the fall of 1870, sjii is now on the move to 
keep out of the officer's hands.* 

These people were cruelly treated, and incarcerated in 
prison to await their trial for resistance to law and for 
murder. They however got bail, and, I think in Feb- 
ruary '63 had their trial. The jury being composed of 
those who were by no means favorably disposed to them, 
it was a certain thing that they would be sentenced to 
heavy punishment. The poor creatures were to be pit- 
ied; they were as harmless a set of creatures as I ever 
saw. But the secret of the matter was, Brigham Young 
wanted them broken up, and it had to be done in some 
way. 

This thing was much talked of, and several of them 
went to Gov. Harding, seeking redress, and laying their 
grievances before him. When the court came on to try 
them, the Governor said he expected executive clemency 
would be asked in their behalf, and wished me to attend 
court with him and hear the evidence, so that he might 
be satisfied in his mind as to their guilt or innocence. 
I attended court five days, and was myself surprised to 
hear the flimsy testimony against them. The Governor 
says to me, with tears rolling down his cheeks like rain, 
"Have we not heard enough." I told him I thought so, 
and he says to me, "Why are you so sad this evening? 
You do not like the manner in which those poor crea- 
tures are treated." I told him I felt more like crying 
oyer them than persecuting them. He shook me by the 
1^ * See Appendix — 1\. 



BRIGHAM^S DESTROYING ANGEL. 163 

hand, and said, "I am glad to see those tender feelings 
you have for suffering humanity ; it will all be fixed in 
time/^ 

The poor fellows, some thirteen of them, were sen- 
tenced to the penitentiary from two to fifteen years. 
Their friends got up a petition for their release, and 
most of the Gentiles signed it, but very few Mormons 
attached their names. The Governor asked me if I was 
going to sign it. I told him I was. lie then asked me 
if I was not afraid of Brigham Young, knowing it was 
in opposition to his counsel to have any Mormon sign it. 
I told him no; that "Brigham Young was as afraid OV 
me as I was of him>^^ meaning that we were not afraid 
of each other. But he has told and published it in the 
light that Brigham Young was more afraid of me than I 
was of him. But be this as it may, I would have signed 
it in the face of all the Brigham Youngs this side of 
Europe, regardless of all consequences. 

Shortly after this, General Connor sent for me — asked 
me a great many questions about the country, and the 
mountains, roads, rivers, &c., &c. After getting through, 
he told me he wanted to hire me as a guide, and might 
have other business for me to do; that I could stay at 
home when I was not wanted, but when wanted, would 
have to furnish my own horse, and be on hand. He 
wanted me to pilot him to Snake Eiver to see the In- 
dians there, see the country, and go from there to Soda 
Springs, on Bear River, and locate a military camp for 
the protection of the emigration. He also wantad t^^ 



164 CONFESSION OF BILL HIOKMAN. 

catch a small band of Indians that had been killing the 
emigrants, that he did not get the winter before. 

In the spring he, with two companions of cavalry, set 
out for Snake Eiver/ while one company of infantry 
with supplies, started to Soda Springs, at which place 
the General told them he would meet them. I went as 
guide. 

The General got to Snake Eiver, found a good many 
Indians, and had a talk with them, and they promised 
to be good : and so they will — when they are dead. They 
gathered by request that night, and had a big dance. The 
General sent me with a lieutenant and twenty-five men 
up Snake Eiver fifty miles, and to strike from there 
south, to Soda Springs, where I was to meet him. I was 
to look out for a wagon road, as it would shorten the 
route fifty miles to the Montana mines, where most of 
the travel was going that summer. He found a good 
place on Snake Eiver for a ferry, and then started 
across the mountains seventy miles without a trail, for 
Soda Springs. We met a party sent out to escort us in, 
but we would not have missed the Springs a mile. Then 
the General sent me with a party down Bear Eiver on 
the north side, with a lieutenant and a party down the 
other side to look out the practicability of a wagon road 
down the river. When we returned, the company of in- 
fantry had arrived, and the General had located a mili- 
tary post. I continued in the business of guide, and in 
the fall following piloted the General to Goose-creek 
Mountain, some 300 miles northwest of Salt Lake City, 
and from there to Soda Springs eastward, where he had 



bkigham's destroying angel. 165 

« 

the spring before stationed a company of troops. He 
paid off those troops that were there, and sent me with 
Lieutenant Finnerty to the Snake Biver ferry to pay off 
a posse of troops, which had been kept there during the 
summer, for the protection of the ferry and emigration. 

We returned, after having paid off the soldiers, to 
Soda Springs, and started for home on a tremendous 
cold day. Had a canteen of whisky which we hung up 
on a bush when we camped. The next morning was as 
cold as blazes. The lieutenant proposed taking a drink ; 
but no sooner had he filled his mouth than he spat it 
in the fire, declaring there was sand in it, and said he 
would give the Commissary hell for putting sand in 
whisky for him. He poured some in a cup and found 
it had small particles of ice all through it, whicn xne 
Lieutenant bad mi^ken for sand. 

General Connor asked me about mines, and said he 
knew it was not the wish of Brigham Young to have 
mines opened in this country. He asked me also if I had 
any scruples about it, on account of what Brigham 
Young had said — I told him I had not, and afterwards 
brought him a good piece of Galena ore from Bingham 
Canon, which was the start of mining in XJta:h. Leads 
were located, work down, and prospecting by different 
parties continued, many laboring under great disadvan- 
tages ; but it has continued until now, showing one of the 
greatest mineral countries in the world. I have located 
and helped others who Jiave made nice sums of money; 
but many instances have been neglected, and after put- 
ting parties in possession of good leads, with the prom- 



166 CONFESSION OF BILL HIOEMAN. 

ise of having a show with them, have had my name 
scratched ofif the books, or the lead re-located. Miners, 
as a general thing, are honest and punctual men; but 
like all other classes of men, have unprincipled dogs 
among them. 

A goodly number of Gen. Connor's men being Califor- 
nians and miners, were, when they had nothing else to 
do, by permission, prospecting the country for precious 
metals. They made many good discoveries, and organ- 
ized districts. Thoy located leads in Stockton, the Cot- 
tonwoods, Bingham Canon^ East Canon, and other 
places; and it can truly be said of the General that he 
was not only a good general, subduing the hostile In- 
dians, and maintaining his dignity as a commander of 
the Utah distinct amidst many brawling outrages of the 
people of Utah, but was the main developer of the Utah 
mines against all opposition of the principal men. He 
in this, like all other business, took his own course 
quietly along, regarding them as a big dog would the 
barking of fists, or a locomotive the buzzing of flies. 

And here I will state that just before this I had my 
last break with Brigham Young. In the spring or early 
summer of 1863 I went in town, and Brigham Young 
sent for me. When I got to his place he said: *^Tha5 
Gen. Connor is nothing but an Irish ditcher, and don't 
belong in thifi country, and you are the man to get him 
out of if After some more talk he said : ^If I would 
kidnap Connor and set him over into California, he 
would attend to the help and give me one thousand dol- 
lars^ and all eixpenses paid/' I laughed at this, and 



BRIGHAM's DESTROriNG ANGEL. 167 

made no reply. Nobody knew then how I stood, and I 
did not know how they looked on me. Six months after 
that Brigham Young repeated his previous conversation 
with me, and said Connor was a bad man, calculated to 
do a great deal of injury to this people, and ought to be 
used up. "Now,^* said he, "you are the man to do it; you 
travel with him as pilot and guide, and you could easily 
do it, and it could be laid to the Indians. You can have 
a great deal more money than if you had kidnapped him 
arid taken him to California.^^ Then I spoke up to 
Brigham Young for the first time in ray life, and said 
I would not do it ; that General Connor was a good man, 
and the best officer ever in Utah, and I knew him to be 
an honorable man ; "and what is more,^' said I, "it shan't 
be done; I will see to that myself. I will look out for 
that/^ I was rash and stirred up, and spoke sharp, 
which had not been the way with ue in talking to Brig- 
ham Young. 

The second winter I was in the General's company he 
told me he had lost twelve head of mules from the Gov- 
ernment reserve in Eush Valley, and wanted me to hunt 
them up, as I had done before when animals were lost 
or stolen. I searched several days, but no trace of them. 
I returned and made my report to him. He sent me 
again, saying to me, if any man could find them I could, 
and wished me spare no pains in hunting. He said I 
might r^ort to any stratagem I could, and he would 
back me up. I was satisfied in my mind who had stolen 
them, and employed men to assist who I knew they would 
not mistrust. I soon found where the mules were, and 



168 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

in learning this I soon found out that the same com- 
pany had been committing burglaries for several months 
past, and then had in their possession several thousand 
dollars^ worth of stolen goods. I reported to the General. 
He sent and got the mules. I made known to the Cap- 
tain of the Police in the city what I had found out 
about the burglaries, and who had committed tliem, and 
where the stolen goods were. He raised a posse of the 
sheriff, policemen, and others, and I accompanied them. 
We found the goods, arrested the men, and took all to 
the city. I went home supposing I had done a good deed 
and would get the reward that was offered for them — 
three hundred dollars by one man, and two hundred by 
another. But what did I find when I went to town a 
few days after? I found the reward-money drawn by 
their confederates, the police, and a writ in their hands 
for my arrest, made out on complaint of these burglars 
with whom the goods were found. I was arrested late 
in the afternoon, and took a good man with me to go 
my bail, who swore he was worth thirty thousand, liable 
to execution. The Probate Judge said it was not suffi- 
cient, and I would have to get another worth as much 
inside of an hour or go to the cells. 

Now, this dirty old villain knew I was innocent, but he 
was a confederate with this well-known clan, the so-called 
city officials, sheriff, and policemen. A blacker set of 
scamps I never knew. I got another man who swore he 
was worth one hundred thousand dollars, liable to execu- 
tion. I then was reluctantly let go after giving one hun- 
dred and thirty thousand dollars bail. This may seem 



170 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

strange, but when you see their motives it will be plain. 
I was in the Government employ, stood fair with both 
city and military officials, and all hands had set to break 
me up, stigmatize, and even kill me for taking the course 
T did in rendering Government official help. 

I had a long trial ; but finally got out. They became 
alarmed, and after I had been in court five days I told 
the prosecuting attorney that I would give him just one 
hour to enter a nolle prosequi in my case, and write the 
facts about it and give it to me to be published in the 
next day^s paper, or I would use up his thieving one- 
horse court with all ite theiving officers. The consequen- 
ces were my request was fully granted, in ample time. 
These villians from that time to this have sought my 
life. But I must tell you what they did with their 
chummies, the burglars ; they let them go on promise of 
some time paying two hundred dollars apiece. It was 
only a few days after this they were caught in a cellar 
in the city. The officers having no one to lay their crime 
upon, they were sent to the penitentiary for three years 
each, not having done anything only being caught in a 
cellar where goods were stored away. But when caught 
with several thousand dollars^ worth of stolen goods in 
their possession, they were released without punishment. 
This was no uncommon thing for parties who were guilty 
of great crimes to go unpunished, while those of minor 
offences were given heavy sentences. This court was a 
gang that cut and dried many of their cases in the "coun- 
seF' before they would come into court, and then carry 
out their spite upon whom they pleased. 



brigham's destroying angel. 171 

About this time they caught me on a bail bond for 
two hundred dollars and costs. I had gone bail for the 
appearance of a man that I knew was not guilty of the 
charge against him ; but when going to Montai^a, in ^62, 
I delivered him up to the court. They let him loose for 
some time without any recognizance, and he finally went 
to California. This old bond, which I had neglected 
taking up when I delivered up the prisoner, was sued on, 
after only four years with not a word said about it. But 
this was the day of vengeance on me, and this corrupt 
court had all power, and made me pay it with costs, 
saying, "If he does get money out of the Government, 
we will try and ease him of all we can*" 

I had a good stock of cattle — near two hundred head 
— when I went into the employ of Gen. Connor. I did 
not dispose of twenty head, and yet, when the war ended 
and Connor went out of office, I did not have twenty. 
My friends, or those who should have been my friends, 
had the good of them. I have been told by good honest 
people, that they heard their bishop say it was no harm 
to kill and eat my cattle. 

When the cattle were used up, then they commenced 
on my horses, and in two years I losi; about three thou- 
sand dollars' worth; and to show that it was all aimed 
for me, the last raid that was made I had five horses in 
the portion of the band that was stolen, that I had 
bought and had not put my brand on them, and they 
were air turned out of the band, and I found them 80i»e 
thirty miles from home. The balance were run into 
Nevada; but I did not hear this until it was too late to 
find QienxL 



172 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

Well, what next? I was one of those men who had a 
plurality of wives, and had children by them all. I had 
as quiet a family as any one I ever saw of that kind, and 
what I had done in that matter I had done in all good 
faith. I had not violated the Congressional law of ^62 
prohibiting polygamy. Neither did I ever expect to, ^58 
being the last year I had taken a wife. I felt under ob- 
ligations to take care of my wives and children ; but, to 
use their own language about me, they seemed deter- 
mined to use me up. The Bishop and others would say 
to my wives that I was a bad man, and commenced per- 
suading them to leave me ; and they would see that thej^ 
took their children » with them, and I should give them 
all they would ask. They soon got things going, but 
never had the pleasure of making me give them a dollar ; 
for I told them to help themselves and take all they 
wanted. I many times would ask them what I had done, 
and what was wanted of me? Their reply was, "Oh! 
you have been with the Gentiles and their dirty Govern- 
ment officers and have betrayed us; it is you that has pi 
Gen. Connor in possession of all the news that has gont 
to Washington about the Mormons.^^ I would tell them 
that I had not, and even went so far as to have the Gen- 
eral say he had never heard me say anything about the 
Mormons that would be criminal ; but all this seemed to 
do no good whatever. 

About this time, one of Joseph Smithes sons, from Illi- 
nois, came to Utah and preached several times, always 
raking Brigham Young for his misconduct and digress- 
ion from the principles of Mormonism. The general 



brigham's destroyinq angel. 173 

feeling was very bitter against him. I went to see him, 
as I told him, out of respect to his father, and we had 
a general social chat. This was enough : what I had not 
done before, I had done now, and I was in for what was 
called "Josephism,'^ and that was enough to damn any- 
body. I saw I could do nothing in this country, and con- 
cluded to leave. I sold my place, farming utensils, &c., 
repaired my wagons, and got teams ready to start. I was 
abused by every low dog that came along, for being an 
apostate. I tried to argue with some about the necessity 
of my going away under the circumstances, but it wa^ 
of no use. A great many said they did not blame me, 
and would go, too, if they were treated as I had been. 
About the time I was ready to start, I got word from my 
friends that there was no use of my trying to get out of 
the Territory with my family and stock, for they were 
watching the roads, by order of Brigham Young, and I 
would be certain to be killed. 

Then I did not know what to do. I concluded I 
would go and see Brigham Young. I told him how I 
was treated, as I had -before done. He made very strange 
of it. He wanted to know by whom. 1 told him the 
names of some of them ; upon which he sent E. T. Bur- 
ton, the sherifif, to make inquiry. Of course he knew 
nothing, he being Brigham^s dirty jobber, as he had been 
for eight or ten years. Brigham Young promised to 
liave things looked to; but when I told him men had been 
prowling around my house several nights with guns and 
pistols in hand, he gave me strict orders not to shoot any 
of them. T begged him to give me the privilege of de- 



■i 



h^ 



174 OONPESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

fending myself; but he said, 'TTou must not hurt any 
one/^ the reason being, they were some of his men, and 
he knew it. He professed great ignorance; but I knew 
no such raids dare be made without his orders. I talked 
to him some time, watching him very closely, and finally 
came to the conclusion that he would call off his dogs, 
or rather his murderers, and let mc alone. 

I went home and all was quiet, even those whom I had 
seen watching my house cam'e round and were rery 
friendly. I still wanted to leave, but seeing the situa- 
tion of my family — ^that I would have to leave my chil- 
dren in the hands of those I abhorred, I concluded to 
round up and live in this country, and see my children 
raised — ^hoping and praying that the day would come 
when I, with my children, could have our rights in this 
country, and do business for the Government, and be 
the friend of the Government officers, without losing all 
of our property, and then have a gang of murderers and 
robbers always seeking our destruction. 

About this time the Sweet-water mines were discov- 
ered, and I, in company with others, went to see them, it 
being in the same portion of the country I had prospect- 
ed in 1855. I heard when I left home that a company or' 
men had followed me, learning I was going to leave tin* 
country. I staid at the mines about a week, the last clay 
I was there in company with one man, I went some ten 
miles off prospecting, saw Indian signs, and two Indians 
hiding behind the rocks. We did not go near them, be- 
JJevjng they intended hostilities, but kept a good lookout, 

v/ng^ that place and taking a evTe\x\\«\3i«» xQ>\3L.tj^ tor 



brigham's destroying angel. 175 

camp. After we had gone two or three miles we saw 
about a dozen Indians trying to get around ahead of us, 
but both being on the best of animals, we soon got out 
of all danger. I told at camp what I had seen, and that 
there would be trouble, but could get few to believe it. 
I then told them I had only a day or two longer to stay, 
and if they did not go to work and organize, I would 
start home the next day. There was then about one hun- 
dred and fifty men camped in squads up and down the 
creek, but no organization was gone into. The next 
morning I, in company with ten others, left for Salt 
Lake. The next morning the Indians made a raid on 
their camp, killed three men, and ran off near a hun- 
dred head of horses and mules, over half they had. We 
were overtaken by some of the fleeing party before we 
got to Green Eiver, a distance of sixty-nine miles. 

I returned home, and thought I would get some cheajJ 
place, and do the best I could until things would have a 
change. I bought a small ranching place at the mouth 
of Bingham Canon, moved my family and stock there, 
built a good corral, and commenced to improve. I 
bought seventy-five head of Spanish horses, and intended 
to do ranching and stock-raising business. But to my 
sorrow, I soon saw that I was again watched ; men were 
prowling around day and night, some of Brigham's job- 
bers. I understood it, knowing his motions so well. 1 
commenced laying out in the brush. I saw two men go 
into the tent where I was in the habit of sleeping. They 
had a pistol in each of their hands. This was what I ex- 
pected, and feared being shot in bed. Two nights. aXts?: 



176 CONCESSION OP BILL HICKMAN. 

I saw two men go in the tent again, and two stood out- 
side with guns in their hands. I concluded that there 
was no use for me to try to live here any longer. The 
day following I saw one of the party, a man to whom I 
had done several favors, and I rounded him up and de- 
manded of him what was the cause of this. He agreed 
to tell me all provided I would not expose him. He 
said it was not believed I intended to stay in the Terri- 
tory, and that I was confederate with the United States 
Judge and Marshal, and was assisting them to knowl- 
edge against the Mormons in the murder of Doc. Kobin- 
son and others ; but if I would go and buy a good farm, 
and sell oflf some of those wagons and horses, and make 
a full showing that I intended staying here, I would be 
let alone. I would have done this for the sake of seeing 
my children raised; but seeing there was no truth or. 
honor in Brigham Young, and his promise amounted to 
nothing, there was but one show left for me, and thaft 
was to get away quick, and not be overtaken. 

The night before I left, one of my boys, being out, was 
chased by this same gang, thinking, I suppose, it was 
me. Now those watching me were men with whom I 
had never had any difficulty ; but were of that kind that 
would kill father or son at the bidding of Brigliam 
Young. This may scorn strange, but there are plenty 
such in this country, that believe they would be doing 
God^s service to obey, if Brigham told them to kill their 
own son, or the son to kill the father. For two reasons : 
One for obeying the great command of Brigham, and 
having nerve enough to do the deed; another, that the 



brigham's destroying angel. 177 

man had done something that his blood should be shed 
to atone for his sins, and it thereby would be the means 
of salvation to the murdered man, and honor, and a 
promise of greater exaltation in the world to come to 
the slayer. But let me here say that this is all BrigHam 
Young^s doctrine ; I never heard of any such thing until 
I had been here several years. Those doctrines of shed- 
ding a man^s blood to save him,* Adam being God, and 
several other abominable things of like character, have 
originated solely from Brigham; obedience to the re- 
quirements of the Gospel, as set forth, taught, and un- 
derstood heretofore by the Mormons, have almost en- 
tirely been set aside, and the general teaching is, and 
has been, to obey Brigham Young^s counsel and that 5f 
his bishop. Many is the time that at public meetings 
the people have been taught that the Bible, Testament, 
and other books, of the fonner Mormon faith were of no 
use; that those things were good enough in the time of 
them ; but now we had the living oracles with us, and 
that all divine record was of no more use to us than an 
old newspaper. Brother Brigham was our Saviour, and 
would lead us to Heaven ; he held the power of salvation 
for all in his own hands, and had his oflBcers, who ad- 
ministered, such as bishops, etc. The great and all-im- 
portant teaching to the people is: Obey your bishops, 
and pay your tithings, and "^'ou are sure of being saved. 
This may seem strange to those who have never heard 
of such things before ; but I assure you there are hun- 
dreds in this Territory who are sanguine in this belief 

* See Appendix — ^L. 



178 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

even now — and as for Mormonism, there is no such 
thing in this country ; it is all Brighamism, and should 
be called so. 

The morning before I left two of those dogs were at 
my place, very inquisitive about what I was going to do. 
I told them I was going' to conference, and expected to 
attend every day. This seemed to ease them, and they 
left. I had also learned that the roads were watched in 
case I made an attempt to get away. I mounted one of 
my best horses, and, with a few days' provisions in my 
saddle-pockets, struck across the mountain west, and did 
not strike a road for 150 miles. Meanwhile, these spe- 
cial friends called every day to know where I was. The 
answer was, that I was out hunting my stock ; but fhey 
smelt the rat, and three men were after me, but were too 
late. I was not seen on the road until I got to Deep 
Creek, nearly two hundred miles west, at which place I 
stayed one night, telling them my business was two hun- 
dred miles further, to Austin, to search for some ani- 
mals that were stolen the spring before. This place was 
six miles off the line between Utah and Nevada. I knew 
I was ahead of all the time they could make after me, 
even if they intended following me; so I took things 
easy from there to Austin. When I got there I found 
plenty of acquaintances and friends — ^the Marshal of the 
city. Hank Ney, and Benjamin Sanbum, the Sheriff, 
together with the mail agent, Len. Wijies, whom I had 
known from a boy, Charley Stebbins, and others. I 
was kindly received and well treated ; had an introduc- 
idon to most of the principal men of the city. I found 



brigham's destroying angel. 179 

in the city one mule I had previously lost; had him re- 
plevied, and, according to the best information that 
could be gotten, he, in company with some five or six 
head of other animals, were brought there by a Salt 
Laker. After I had been there about two weeks, a man 
came in town and told me I had been followed to Deep 
Creek by three policemen ; but I had been gone five days 
when they got there, and they wished him, if he saw me 
anywhere, to telegraph to them to Salt Lake City. He 
asked then what charges they had against me, and they 
told him (he being a Gentile) that I had killed a Gen- 
tile close to the city some months before, and that was 
why they were after me. He told me he knew they were 
lying, for he had been there himself, and nothing of the 
kind had occurred. He said they swore if they caught 
me they would kill me without saying a word to me. 
They were beaten, and the dirty dog, who is one of Brig- 
ham Young's blood-shedders, Sara Bateman, who was 
in charge of the party who were watching me, made 
great lamentation, saying he had lost three weeks watch- 
ing me, and I had got away at last, and would bring 
great trouble on Brother Brigham. 

I got letters from home, in which I was advised to not 
come back until things took a change. I then conclud- 
ed to go to California and spend a month or two. I 
went to San Francisco, found my old and true friend. 
Gen. Connor, and many other acquaintances; had an in- 
troduction to the Governor, and a great many others, 
and had a good sociable time. I told the General what 
situation I was in^ and got a statement from him^ with 



180 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

the signature to it, that I had never at any time madfe 
any disclosures to him on Brigham Young, which I sent 
home.* I then went over the mountain, back into Car- 
son Valley, where my old partner lived that I had mined 
with in California in '51-^52. I got letters from home 
saying things had quieted down, and Brigham Young 
told my son to write for me to come home. But I had 
made up my mind never to return again, and intended 
to take shipping from San Francisco to New York, and 
from there take the cars to Western Missouri, and send 
for my family. 

But just at the time I got ready to start I was taken 
with typhoid fever; it fell into my lame thigh, an3 it 
swelled up as big as a comfnon flour sack. I suffered all 
that a man could suffer and live. I was reduced to skin 
and bones, lying on my back for four months, run off 
from my family, amongst strangers and just alive, for no 
cause whatever, only the fears of my making statements 
of Brigham Young's course in Utah. I cannot express 
my sufferings of both body and mind. Night after night 
I would lie, scarcely able to turn over, no one to speak 
to; and was given up to die by every one who saw me 
for weeks. Language would fail me to begin to tell my 
feelings. I was innocent of crime, only the obeying of 
Brigham Young's qrders, and would sometimes say, 
my God, may the day come when his unjust reign shall 
have an end! 

Finally some of my old acquaintances, Mormon apos- 
tates, whom I had befriended while in Utah, came to my 

* See Appendix — M. 




WASH-A-KIE, Pence Chief of th. Slioslu,... Indi., 
See Page 105. 



182 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

assistance, and took care of me until I got able to help 
myself. My old mining partner being a bachelor, and 
about that time taken sick himself, I had to stay with 
those whom I had never seen. Notwithstanding all this, 
I continued to take the part of Brigham Young in all 
conversations, with the exception of talks to a few con- 
fidential friends. I was down-hearted and disconsolate, 
and did not much care what became of me. I concluded 
to return home and take chances again. I went to Vir- 
ginia City to take the stage for home, and there found 
Gov. Durkee — then Governor of Utah — who had been 
to California, and was on his way home. We procured 
the same seat in the coach, and had a general chat on 
* Utah affairs. • He seemed to know all about my situation, 
and advised me to take care of myself. He said if it 
was in his power, such a course of things as was going 
on in Utah should be stopped ; but as he was unable to 
do anything, he would try and serve out his time quietly, 
and then leave the Territory. 

On reaching home, after resting a few days, which I 
very much needed, being weak and going on crutches, I, 
with my wife, went to see Brigham Young. He seemed 
to express great sorrow for me, made inquiry of the cause 
of my leaving, and, on my telling him how things had 
stood, he said I should have come to him. I told him 
I thought I had said enough to him, and it all seemed 
to amount nothing. We went to our home where my 
family had been moved to; some forty-five miles south 
of Salt Lake City, where they had purchased some 
houses and loia, and were in a tolerably comfortable sit- 
I nation. 



brigham's destroying angel. 183 

I then commenced looking after my scattered family. 
I had left three wives at home, besides my first, all liv- 
ing in as much peace as any family of the kind. I foimd 
one married to a black Spaniard. This woman had four 
children, the oldest being a daughter of eleven years. 
Another wife was just ready to marry, which she did in 
a few days after I got liorae. This was all right, as I 
had, after leaving the fall before, been disfellowshiped 
from the church. I was then left with two wives — the 
first and the last — the last having two boys, one six years 
old and the other four. I was disfellowshiped without 
any charge being preferred against me, and on inquiry 
learned it was for going away without permission. 

I went to mining, and attended to what stock I had 
left. I did not find half I had left at home when I 
started away. I soon heard rumors of trouble on me. 
I went to see Brigham Young, and wanted to know 
what charges were against me. I found that the same 
old thing was up again. I was accused of telling Gen. 
Connor all I knew, and that the evidence had gone to 
Washington, and had come out in pamphlet form, and 
I was the cause of all of it. I reminded him of the let- 
ter I had sent him with the General's signature to it. 
He denied ever seeing such a certificate, and I told him 
to wait until I conld write to San Francisco, and I 
would have another. I wrote a letter to the General, 
read it to him, and gave it to one of his clerks to put 
into the postoffice. I soon got an answer, with the same 
statements in it that were in the one I had got before. 
I took it to him; he read it, and says: "Well, may be 



184 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

SO." I asked him if there were any other charges against 
me. He said yes, I had been intimate with the Smith 
boys, Joseph's sons, of whom I have spoken. I told 
him I only went to see them out of respect to their 
father, and never had a private chat with them. This 
he was not disposed to believe. I went and brought 
John Smith, cousin to them, who is one of Brigham 
Young's officials, and liad him state that nothing out- 
side of a common conversation took place between us. 
I asked what more was against me, and he said he did 
not know. I asked him why I was disfellowshiped. 
He seemed beat, and was mad, and said, "If it was not 
right to have done it, it would not have been done," and 
got up and left. I have not spoken to him but twice 
since, both times on business. He wanted to know the 
last time I saw him if I was going to join the Church 
again. I told him I had for three years tried to find 
out what was against me, and could not; consequently, 
I expected to remain as I was. He said he would givTi 
me a recommendation to the bishop, and wanted me to 
be baptized again. I told him that would be an admis- 
sion of guilt which he and all others had failed to show. 
"Well, well," says he, "I will fix all that." This was 
the last of it. I have not seen or spoken to him since. 
I had no desire to ])elong to his Church, but would have 
accepted a re-union for the purpose of having more peace 
and a better show to do business and raise my children. 
Bryant Stringhani, the man who took care of what 
was called church »tock, hired me to gather up what 
stock they had- in Cedar Valley, the valley in which I 



BRIGHAM S DESTROYING ANGEL. 



185 



lived. Stringham was a good, honest man, whom I had 
been acquainted with for more than twenty years. I 
went at it, got up his wild horses, and traded them ofiE 
for cattle, and some I sold for money, doing as he had 
ordered, not charging half as much as others did, think- 
ing when Brigham Young heard it he would be pleased. 
But to the reverse; he gave Stringham a blowing up, 
and made him go and advertise that I was not a church 
agent to gather up stock. Stringham settled with me, 
like a gentleman ; but I could do no business that Brig- 
ham Young could prevent. This is only one of several 
things he hindered me in. 




m'^fmmwM 





CHAPTEE VI I. 
HICKMAN^S LAST CRIME. 

ORGANIZES A MINING DISTRICT — ^DISAPPOINTED AGAIN — 
DIFFICULTY ABOUT A PLURAL WIFE — ^A SPANIARD MAR- 
RIES HER AND TAKES THE CHILDREN — SUIT ^UJOUT 
THEM IN TOOELE CITY — HICKMAN OUTWITTED ^MUR- 
DER OF T^HE SPANIARD — EVIDENCE OF THE CASE — 
FLIGHT OF HICKMAN — HIS ADVENTURES — KILLING 
THE MOUNTAIN LION — NEGOTIATIONS OPENED WITH 
DEPUTY MARSHAL GILSON — HICKMAN GIVES HIMSELF 
UP — FLACK ARRESTED — THEY TURN STATERS EVIDENCE 
— EXPERIENCE AT CAMP DOUGLASS — MENTAL SUFFER- 
INGS^ LONELINESS, AND REMORSE — CONCLUSION. 

Things kept in a kind of live-along condition with 
me, not doing much of anything but exploring the coun- 
try for mines. I found in the vicinity I was living, good 
indication of minerals, and told the people of my little 
town that they might have mines near home, and do 
well if they wished. ]\[any of them were anxious, and 
wished me to explore for them, and they would do what 
was right with me for it. I found some leads I thought 
to be good, and made some locations ; after which I drew 
up laws and organized what is known as the Camp Floyd 
diatriet, called a meeting, and the laws and constitution, 



brigham's destroying angel. 187 

together with the name I had given the district, 
were adopted. A clerk was appointed and a district 
formed, and after this I, in company with others, kept 
prospecting. 

During this time I had heard a great deal with re- 
gard to the course the Spaniard which married one of 
my wives while I was ^est three years previous, was 
taking. He, not satisfied with taking the woman, was 
making heavy threats* on me, as can be shown by certifi- 
cate sworn to in Tooele City, of the county in which 
he lived. The purport was if ever I undertook to take 
my children away he would kill me; and if ever I came 
about his place, or he had a chance, he would kill me. 
I wanted no difficulty with him, and kept away, not 
daring to go and see my children for fear of serious 
trouble ; but on hearing, and that from a reliable source, 
a now acting deputy United States marshal, that an- 
other low, degraded Greaser was after ray oldest daugh- 
ter, I thought it high time my children should be taken 
from such a place. To avoid difficulty, instead of going 
and taking them away as a father ought under such cir- 
cumstances, I brought a law-suit on a writ of habeas 
corpus before the probate judge of their county. After 
all parties were in court, I asked the question of Mr. 
Greaser and the woman, if they were willing to have the 
case tried in that court; to which they expressed entire 
satisfaction, and said they would rather have it tried 
before the Judge than anybody ^Ise. I asked her if she 
was willing to tell the truth ; to which she answered she 
was, and I had her sworn. She said 1 had always treated 



I 



188 CONFESSION OF BILL HIOKMAN. 

hor kindly, and left her plenty when I went away; but 
she had heard I was not coming back, and thought she 
had a right to marry. 

The court gave me the children, but on their entreaty 
gave them ten days to deliver them up to me, by their 
giving bond of live hundred dollars, at the expiration 
of the time. The Judge, being no good friend of mine 
and afraid of the Spaniard, assessed the costs of the suit 
to me. At the expiration of the ten days I sent for my 
children, giving the man an order for them. They ac- 
cepted the order, put the children into the wagon, and 
said to him, "Now we are clear ,^^ to which he answered, 
^^es.*^ When my man got a little ways, the children 
jumped out of the wagon and ran back into the house, 
and told him to drive on. The Greaser had my receipt 
of delivery, and was all right now. 

He and the woman then took my children and ran 
them to Salt Lake City, to see if they could not insti- 
tute another suit, and keep the children in spite of me. 
They were sent back for a transcript from the court, so 
as to commence another law-suit, leaving the children 
in Salt Lake City. That night, a little after dark, some 
person called the Greaser* to the door and put, they say, 
a dozen buckshot through him, killing him instantly, 
and his chummy that was after my daughter was shot 
down, but has gotten well. Some four or five days after 
this 1 heard I was accused of it, and \n about ten days, 
as near as I can recollect, \ heard there was a writ issued 
for my arrest on the oath of the woman, who was in a 

*See ApfKjndix — N. 



brigham's destroying angel. 189 

second room back, but said she heard my voice outside 
of the house. From what I could hear she seemed to 
be willing to swear anything. I got iilarmed about it, 
and concluded to keep out of the way awhile. This was 
in the fall of '70. 

I roamed around in the mountains, sometimes alone 
and sometimes I had company. I went to the Eastern 
outside settlements, and concluded to spend a month or 
two hunting elk and bear. The snow had just begun to 
drive the <rame out of the his^h mountains. I killed 
some deer and one mountain lion — a very large one — I 
had a great time in getting him. I tracked him fifteen 
miles, and saw him lying in some brush on a sunny hill- 
side. I was, within fifty steps of him when I first saw 
h im, and he was looking straight at me. I thought the 
safest way for me was to shoot on my horse. I took aim 
at his head, and just as I pulled the trigger he raised 
his head, which caused the shot to pass through his nose 
just below his eyes; he bounded and scared my horse, 
which made such a lunge that I had to drop my gun to 
save myself from falling. Away my horse went with 
me, but as soon as I could gather the reins I wheeled 
him around and saw the lion close behind me. He ran 
against a tree and fell. I drew my revolver and gave 
him three shots which caused him to stretch out, mak- 
ing the worst roar I ever heard from any wild animal. 
I sat on my horse for some time to see if he was dead, 
then got off and was satisfied from examining him that 
he was blinded from the first shot I gave him. 

A few days after I was taken with the typhoid fever, 



190 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

and, as it served me three years before, it fell into my 
lame thigh, and in twenty hours it was so swollen that 
I could not walk. In this situation I remained until I 
had it lanced, but was not able to walk for two months. 
I was hauled home, and then to other places until I got 
well enough to ride around. 

During this winter I got word often of Deputy Mar- 
shal H. Gilson seeking to see me. When I learned 
that, I did not think it policy to see him, as I had been 
informed he was one of the deputies of M. T. Patrick, 
United States marshal, and could not understand why 
he wanted to see me, unless it was to arrest me. So I 
declined to see him. He seemed determined, and called 
on my son George and told him that if I would consent 
to see him he would go to any point I might direct with- 
out arms, and meet me and my friends armed. This 
seemed to me fair enough, and I concluded to see him 
without delay, and told my son to inform him of the 
fact. He did so, and on the 15th of April, ^71, I re- 
paired to his herd-house, in Ferner Valley, sixteen miles 
west of Nephi, where his brother had a large band of 
horses. 

Not being entirely satisfied about his intentions, I 
kept my arms in readiness for immediate use if any 
treachery was intended on his part. I found him in the 
cabin, about to sit down to his dinner. He arose and 
came towards me with extended hands, saying : ^^ow 
do you do? Sit down and partake of such as we have.*^ 
I became assured in a moment that he did not want to 
arrest me^ and I sat down and partook of his fare. After 



BRIGHAM^S DESTROYING ANGEL. 191 

dinner we took a stroll, and then I found the reason 
why he had sent for me. He informed me he was a 
detective, whose purpose it was to find out the real crim- 
inals of Utah, that he had been in the work for about 
eighteen months, and had learned much, and had found 
out how I had been treated in this country, and that I 
could give the key-note to all the villainous transactions. 
He said he could not give me any hope of pardon for 
the many crimes in which I had pari:icipated, furi^her 
than that he believed, if I made a clean breast of it, it 
would be greatly in my favor. I informed him I Tiad 
long wished for the time to come that I might unbSsom 
myself where it would do some good; and I had con- 
fidence in him more than any other man that had ever 
talked to me on the subject. 

I asked him whom he was relying on to put the thing 
through ? He told me that E. N. Baskin was the man. 
This satisfied me, as I knew that Baskin was a man that 
did not know the word fail; at least, would never give 
up beaten while there was a chance of success. I f oun'S 
Gilson to be a man that had had much experience in his 
life in his line, and was well posted on the crimes of 
Utah. He was conversant on the most prominent cases, 
and held the correct theory, that the leaders of the 
Church were -the guilty party> and not the laymen. He 
conversed about many cases with which I was connected; 
and finally elected the case of Yates as the one on which 
we could with the greatest safety rely for prosecuting 
Brigham Ypung. I then g?ive him a full statement of 



192 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

the case and the names of the witnesses that would make 
the circumstances complete. 

Gilson is a man about thirty-five years of age, with 
dark hair, and six feet two in height, and weighs 230 
pounds. He is always on the alert, quick of perception, 
and of a genial and kind disposition: and to him and 
E. N. Baskin may be largely credited the success of the 
Federal authority over Mormon terrorism and trickery. 
But with them alone nothing could have been done. All 
have done their part — all have done well; and Utah's 
future can now be seen with her rising sun of prosperity 
instead of lowering clouds of adversity and misrule. 

I told them I had made statements to honorable men 
years ago what I would do when the time came, that I 
thought T could do it and not be killed, and have the 
law enforced so as to accomplish something when I did, 
and not have to run for my life. Gilson assured me 
authoritatively that it could be done now, and that I 
should have every protection that T needed. I then told 
him whenever I was wanted to come for me and I would 
submit, and make full statements of facts as they were. 
On the last of September he came and arrested me and 
another man by the name of Flack. We were then taken 
before Chief Justice McKean for examination, which we 
waived, and were sent to Camp Douglass for safe keep- 
ing. After we had been there some two weeks we were 
taken before the Grand Jury, and I made a full state- 
ment of all the crimes committed in this Territory that 
I knew of — as I have related them in this history — 
which statement, together with that of Flack's and ath- 



brigham's destroying angel. 193 

ers, caused the Grand Jury to find indictments against 
several persons, and it has caused msmj threats to be 
made on me. 

Several have said if I ever get out of here I will not 
be privileged to live but a short time; others have tried 
to get me out of camp under promise of any amount 
of money I wanted to make my escape; but it was too 
plain to be seen that I would not get far before I would 
be cared for in such a manner that I would not tell more 
stories. I could easily enough have escaped, as I had 
the privilege of the garrison without guard or being 
locked up at nights; but even had T believed I could 
safely make my escape, there was not money enough in 
Utah to have caused me to do it. I have taken my 
stand, made my statements, and I intend to stick to it, 
let the consequences be what they may. 

I have written this while I have been under arrest for 
the Yates' murder, awaiting my trial. I have received 
the utmost kindness from soldiers and oflBcers of this 
garrison — all, so far as I know, approbating the course 
I have taken. Some of them I wish to mention. 

Major D. S. Groden, acting captain of 2d Cavalry, 
Company D, on the 26th of April, '61, entered the 
United States service. He is a Pennsylvanian by birth, 
and was appointed in the army from Kansas. He was 
officer of the day when I first came to this post, and 
probably more through curiosity than anything else, 
spent an hour or so in conversation with me. I was as- 
signed to his company of cavalry for rations, where I 
have, through his kindness, remained ever since. They 



194 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

are a fine set of whole-souled, clever fellows, of whom 
he is proud, and indeed he well might be of such a clean, 
man-like looking company. They are proud of their 
commander, and when in parade their showing is not 
excelled by any I ever saw. Lieut. Townscnd, one of 
the best shots I ever saw, was officer of the guard a few 
days after I came to this place, and necessarily we had 
an interview, after which war and hunting stories en- 
sued. When he was leaving, he said: "I know your 
situation. I am glad to have made your acquaintance, 
and hope you will not back down, but will disclose the 
facts of things that have transpired in Utah, and if you 
want any help that I can do, call on me.^^ After this 
he pulls out a $5 bill and says : "Go to the sutlers and 

get a couple of bottles of brandy and cheer up ; you are 
in a good cause, and all honorable men will stand by 
you.'' 

I have remained in a kind of solitary and lonely situ- 
ation for the last four or five years, often meditating on 
the past, and at no time have I rested with a contented 
mind. I came here to Utah in all good faith, and 
obeyecl my leader; I got a plurality of wives, as I then 
thought (yes, so did thousands of my brethren), in all 
conscience was my right, intending to treat them as 
wives, and raise up a posterity wlio I expected would be 
honorable in society; but what do I find? My wives, 
through other advices, have left, and my children are, 
some in Cache Valley, some in Ogdeii Valley, some on 
Weber, some in Rush Valley, all of which I might have 
stopped^ and been able to give them a_ father's care and 



brigham's destroying angel. 195 

instructions, had I not been sucli a man, and afterwards 
doing business for the Government, as I had a mind, and 
associating with whom I pleased, instead of keeping 
still. 

I have had ten wives, and have twenty-four children 
living, six grandchildren, and one little great-grandson, 
only a year and a half old ; though I am now but fifty- 
six. I had one daughter bom when I was eighteen years 
old, and she had a daughter, and I was a grandfather 
when I was thirty-six. But my property has mostly 
been taken, my children scattered and mv life sought, 
and I lonesome and lonely am, and have oeen, passing 
my time in this situation. And now only my good old 
wife, the same girl I told you I cpurted and married 
when a boy, sticks to me and owns me. 

Tongue cannot express or man imagine some of my 
feelings in the few past years. Many is the time when 
the sun would rise I would wish for night; and when 
night came I would wish to God it was morning. But 
I dared not say I had been robbed and ruined, and de- 
prived of all that was near and dear to me; I thought 
it was all I could do to live by keeping still. I would 
rather have died a dozen deaths than to pass through 
what I have, if 1 could only be alive again and see right 
and justice triumph ! Thank God ! I think the day has 
come, and now is, and in justice to nayself, my poster- 
ity, the living, the dead, and my country, I think it right 
to come out and show the damnable course pursued by 
Brigham Young — ^guilty as I have made myself, and 



196 CONFESSION OF BILL HICKMAN. 

with no excuse to offer except my fanatical belief. Be- 
lieve me or not, I was sincere. 

my God I if any of my brethren (who used to be 
anyhow) in Utah think they can break the laws of 
heaven or this free Government, and Brigham will taKe 
care of them, let them come and see me here — a good 
enough place of the kind — ^but me, lonely and no show 
to do anything for my family, and scarred all over my 
body, lame, and old, and poor, when I was once rich, 
and hated by man, and my life threatened if I stir away 
from this post. I have not given this as a confession 
or a bugbear story, but have given you, in short, a sketch 
of all the most important transactions that I was per- 
sonally knowing to. I might go into the detail of fam- 
ily affairs — women in polygamy, property appropria- 
tions, thievings, and when, how, and by whom ordered, 
and the consequences when not ordered, and many other 
atrocious deeds of murder done by the order of Brigham 
Young, which I was not witness to — all of which would 
make a larger book than this. This I have written not 
for any speculative purposes, as has been the case with 
many books in which there was very little truth ; but no 
matter what you think now, the day is coming fast — 
yes, in Utah ! — that you will know the things set down 
in this book for truth. 



APPENDIX. 



The statement that **no attempt was made to punish 
Smith's murderers," is a great error; but it is not surpris- 
ing that Hickman should believe it, as every Mormon in 
Utah has heard it from the pulpit a thousand times. The 
priesthood had worked up such a state of feeling in Han- 
cock County, that the law was utterly powerless; and yet 
they heap execrations upon all the officers of the State and 
of the United States, because the law did not avenge the 
Smiths. Governor Ford, and most of the prominent men of 
the State, used their utmost exertions to bring to justice all 
parties connected with the assassination, but were defeated 
by the defects of the jury system — a system which the Mor- 
mons had taught their enemies too well how to take ad- 
vantage of. From Ford's "History of Illinois*' I condense 
his account of the trial of those accused of the murder of 
the Smiths:— 

"About one year after, the apostles abandoned for the 
present the project of converting the world to the new re- 
ligion. The missionaries were ordered home, and it was 
announced that the world had rejected the gospel by the 
murder of the Prophet and Patriarch. The congregations 
were regularly called for worship, but instead of expound- 
ing the new gospel, the zealous and infuriated preachers 
now indulged only in curses and strains of abuse of the 
Gentiles. A sermon was no more than an inflammatory 
stump-speech, relating to their quarrels with their enemies, 
and ornamented with an abundance of profanity — curses 
upon their enemies, upon government, upon alJ public 



^ I, 



1Q8 APPENDIX. 

officers, were now the lessons taught by the eldeif? to in- 
flame their people with the highest degree of spite and 
malice against all who were not of the Mormon church, or 
its obsequious tools. 

"The Mormons invoked the assistance of Government to 
take vengence upon the murderers of the Smiths. The anti- 
Mormons asked the Governor to violate the Constitution 
which he was sworn to support, by erecting himself into 
a military despot, and exiling the Mormons. The latter in 
their newspapers invited the Governor to assume absolute 
power, by taking summary vengeance on their enemies, by 
shooting fifty or a hundred of them without judge or jury. 
Both parties were thoroughly disgusted with constitutional 
provisions, restraining them from summary vengeance; each 
was ready to submit to arbitrary power, to the fiat of a dic- 
tator, to make me a king for the time being, and abolish 
both the forms and spirits of free government, if the des- 
potism to be erected upon its ruins could only be wielded 
for their benefit, and to take vengeancie on their enemies. 

"♦*♦** In this state of the case I applied to 
General J. J. Hardin, of the State Militia, and to Colonels 
Baker, Merriman, and Weatherford, who, with my own ex- 
ertions, succeeded in raising five hundred volunteers. With 
this little force, under command of General Hardin, I ar- 
rived in Hancock County early in October. The malcontents 
(anti-Mormon mob), abandoned their design, and all the 
leaders fled to Missouri. The Carthage Greys fled almost 
in a body, carrying their arms along with them. * * ♦ » 
We reached Warsaw about noon; that night we were to 
cross the Mississippi at Churchville and seize three anti- 
Mormons, for whom we had writs for the murder of the 
Smiths; but that afternoon Colonel Baker visited the hostile 
camp, and on his return refused to participate in the ex- 
pedition, and so advised his friends. There was no author- 
ity for compelling men to invade a neighboring State, and 
for this cause, much to the vexation of myself and others^ 



APPENDIX. 199 

the matter fell through. Colonel Baker had already partly 
arranged the terms for the accused to surrender. They were 
to be taken to Quincy for examination, under a military 
guard; were to be abmitted to bail, and to a continuation of 
their trial at the next term of court at Carthage. Upon 
this two of the accused come over and surrendered them- 
selves prisoners. 

"I employed able lawyers to hunt up the testimony 
and prosecute the offenders. A trial was had before Judge 
Young, in the summer of 1845. The Sheriff and panel of 
jurors selected by the Mormon Court were tet aside 'for 
prejudice,' a new panel was selected and elisors were ap- 
pointed for this purpose; but as more than a thousand men 
had assembled under arms at the Court, to keep away the 
Mormons and their friends, the jury was made up of these 
military followers of the Court, who all swore they had not 
formed or expressed an opinion as to the guilt or innocence 
of the accused. The Mormons had one principal witness, 
who was with the troops at Warsaw, had marched with 
them until they were disbanded, heard their consultations, 
went before them to Carthage, and saw them murder the 
Smiths. But before the trial came on they had induced 
him to become a Mormon; and being much more anxious 
for the glorification of the Prophet than to avenge his death, 
the leading Mormons made him publish a pamphlet giving 
an account of the murder, in which he professed to have 
seen a bright and shining light descend upon the head of 
Joe Smith, to strike some of the conspirators with blind- 
ness, and that he heard supernatural voices in the air con- 
firming his mission as a Prophet. Having published this 
in a book he was compelled to swear to it in Court, which 
of course destroyed the credit of his evidence. Many oth- 
er witnesses were examined who knew the facts, but under 
demoralization of faction denied all knowledge of them. 
The accused were all acquitted. 

"The next term the leading Mormons were tried and 



ri' 



200 APPENDIX. 

acquitted for the destruction of the heretical press. Not 
being interested in objecting to a Sheriff or jury selected 
by a Court elected by themselves, they in turn got a favor- 
able jury, determined on acquittal; and yet the Mormon 
jurors all swore they had formed no opinion as to the guilt or 
innocence of their accused friends. It appeared that the laws 
furnished the means of suiting each party with a jury; the 
Mormons by the regular jury, the Anti-AIormons by object- 
ing to the Sheriff and regular panel. Henceforth no leading 
man on either side could be arrested without the aid of an 
army, as the men of one party could not surrender to the 
other for fear of heing murdered; no one could be convicted of 
crime in Hancock; Government was at an end there, and the 
whole community delivered to the dominion of a frightful 
anarchy." 

Note the result of five years of Mormon rule among 
(Jentiles: the latter, accused of crime, would not surrender 
10 any officer, ever to the Governor of the State unless they 
could be taken to another county **mder a military guard; 
a thousand armed men gathered to keep the Mormons from 
assassinating Gentiles in legal custody, and no man on 
either side could surrender to the other "for fear of 
assa^ssinatlon. 

Just this would be the condition of Utah in two years, 
if the Mormons had a State Government there under their 
absolute control, unless, indeed, all the Gentiles abandoned 
the State in a body. 

B. 
"With full powei' to organize the county" This brief 
hint points to one fact which explains many of the diffi- 
culties presented by the Mormon question, viz.: the ex- 
cessive power of Mormon Probate Courts. Unlike any other 
Territory or State, in Utah these County Judges were 
granted by the I^egislature complete, civil and criminal 
jurisdiction, concurrent with the District Courts in all other 
matters, and exclusive jurisdiction in matters of divorce and 



APPENDIX. 201 

alimony. There is good cause for this: the District Judges 
are appointed at Washington, and are supposed to be sup- 
porters of national law; the Probate Judge is simply tfie 
leading Bishop or Elder in each county, appointed by the 
Legislature, which was "counselled," of course, by Brigham 
Young. This usurpation endured twenty years, until it 
was overthrown by the decisions of Judges McKean and 
Hawley. These Probate Judges had power to organize 
counties, appoint under oflScers, and do forty other things 
which sound republicanism condemns, but which all aided 
to keep power in the hands of the Priesthood. For full 
exposition of this matter, see Life in Utah, Chap. XVI, 
(New Edition just issued by National Publishing Company 
of Philadelphia and St. Louis). The editor would not 
venture on the egotism of a reference to his own work, 
were it not that the book is extensively distributed, and 
can easily be obtained in almost any part of the country 
by those who wish to inquire more, particularly into the 
history of the Mormons, and other points alluded to by 
Hickman. 

In a few brief words Hickman narrates one of the most 
cruel, causeless, and cold-blooded murders ever perpetrated. 
Hartley's case is the one most generally known in Utah 
of all mentioned in this book, and there is scarcely a ques- 
tion of his innocence of any serious fault. Of all the crimes 
committed by Hickman this one seems to rest most heavy 
on his conscience. In conversation he strove to avoid it, 
and at this point his manuscript is heavily blurred and 
blotted, with frequent erasures, and every evidence of an 
uncertain hand and hesitating mind, impelled to, yet dread- 
ing the narration. 

From the various popular accounts in Utah I select 
that of Hartley's wife, as told to Mrs. Marietta V. Smith, 
and published in her work, "Fifteen Years among the Mor- 



202 APPENDIX. 

mons.'* Be it uoted that Mrs. Smith's work appc^arcd four- 
Icon, years before, Hickman made Ms (H)nftssiimf and that three- 
fourths of her statements as to other matters are proved 
true by testimony lately develoi)ed, and no other corrobora- 
tion will b(; requirc^d. Mrs. Smith says: 

"About that time Jesse T. Hartley came to Salt Lake 
City. He was a man of education and intelligence, a law- 
yer. I never heard where he was from, but he was a Gen- 
tile, and married soon after a Momon girl named Bullock, 
which involved at least a profession of Mormonism. It was 
afterwards supposed by some that his aim was to learn 
the mysteries of the church in order to expose them. At 
all events the eye of the Prophet was upon him from the 
first; and he was not long in discovering, through his spies, 
good grounds for suspicion. Hartley was named by some 
one unacquainted with that fact as a fit person to be ap- 
pointed missionary preacher among the Gentiles. As cus- 
tomary in such cases he was proposed in open convention 
when all the heads of the church were on the stand, and 
the Prophet rose at orice with that air of judicial authority 
from which those who know him best understand there is 
to be no appeal, and said, *This man Hartley is guilty of 
apostasy. He has been writing to his friends in Oregon 
against the church, and has attempted to publish us to the 
world, and should be sent to hell across lots.' This was 
the end of the matter as to Hartley. 

*'His friends after this avoided him, and it was under 
stood that his fate was sealed. He knew that to remain 
was death, so he left his wife and child and attempted to 
effect an escape. Not many days after Wiley Norton told 
us, with a feeling of exultation, that they had made sure 
of another enemy of the Church. That the bones of Jesse 
Hartley were in the Cafions, and he was afraid they would 
be overlooked at the resurrection unless he had better suc- 
COS8 in pleading in the next world than in this, referring 
to his practice as a lawyer. 



Al»PENDiX. 203 

'Nearly a year and a half after this, when on my way 
to the States, I saw the widow of Jesse Hartley at Green 
River. She had been a very pretty woman, and was at 
that time but twenty-two years old. I think she was the 
most hoait-broken human being I have ever seen. She 
was living with her brother, who kept a ferry there, and 
he was also a Mormon. We were waiting to be taken over, 
when I saw a woman with a pale, sad face, dressed in the 
deepest black, sitting upon the bank alone. The unrelieved 
picture of woe which she presented excited our curiosity 
and sympathy. Accompanied by my sister I went to her, 
and after some delay and the assui*ance, that although we 
were Mormons, we were yet women, she told us her brief 
story without a tear, yet with an expression of hopeless 
sorrow, which I can never forget. 

**It was not until I had suggested to her that perhaps 
I had also a woe to unburden as the result of my Mormon 
life, which might have some comparison to her own, that 
she commenced by saying: 'You may have suffered; and 
if you have been a Mormon wife you must have known 
sorrow. But the cruelty of my own lot is, I am sure, with- 
out a parallel, even in this land of cruelty. I married Jesse 
Hartley, knowing he was a Gentile in fact, though he 
passed for a Mormon; but that made no difference with me, 
because he was a noble man, and sought only the right. 
By being my husband he was brought into closer contact 
with the heads of the Church, and thus was soon en- 
abled to learn of many things he did not approve, and 
of which I was ignorant, though brought up among 
the Saints, and which if known to the Gentiles, would 
have greatly damaged us. I do not understand all he dis- 
covered or all he did; but they found he had written against 
the Church, and he was cut off, and the Prophet required as 
an atonement for his sins, that he should lay down his life; 
that he should be sacrificed in the endowment rooms, where 
such atonement is made. This I never knew until my hush 



204 APPENDIX. 

band told me; but it is true. They kill those there who have 
committed sins too great to be atoned for in any other way. 
(See note on the hlood atonement, Ed.) The Prophet says if 
they submit to this, he can save them; otherwise they are 
lost. Oh! that is horrible. But my husband refused to be 
sacrificed, and so set out alone for the United States, think- 
ing there might be at least a hope of success. I told him 
when he left me, and loft his child, that he would be killed; 
and so he was. William Hickman and another Danite shot 
him in the Gallons; and I have often since been obliged to 
cook for this man, when he passed this way, knowing all the 
while he had killed my husband. My child soon followed its 
father, and I hope to die also; for why should I live? They 
have brought me here, where I wish to remain rather than 
to return to Salt Lake, where the murderers of my husband 
cursa the earth, and roll in affluence unpunished.' 

"She had finished her sad story, and we were choking 
down our sobs of pity in silence, when she rose and walked 
away, wearing the same stony expression of agony as when 
we first saw her. But this is but one case among a thousand 
that never will see the light until the dark history of the 
'Destroying Angels,' as the Prophet is sometimes pleased to 
call them, is unveiled." 

Let the reader observe the convincing agreement of the 
two accounts. Those who are still determined to believe 
nothing but good of Brigham Young, may fix some sort of a 
theory; that Mrs. Smith and Bill Hickman, who scarcely 
knew each other by sight, could construct a conspiracy so 
complete that their evidence would substantially agree, 
though given at intervals of fourteen years; that Mrs Hart- 
ley, myu) living in Utah, merely imagined that her husband 
was killed by the Church, and that these three witnesses 
should all be mistaken or willfully false, whei agreeing in 
every particular! But those accustomed to judging the 
weight of evidence can come to but one conclusion: Jesse 
Hartley was murdered for apostasy, and the charge of 



APPENDIX. 205 

counterfeiting was cooked up to furnish some sort of excuse 
to those of the Mormons who could not "swallow the strong 
doctrine of blood-atonement.' 



tf 



D. 



A plurality of o£fiees as well as of wi^es obtains in 
Utah. The number and variety of offices held by the same 
man is both curious and amusing; and I have never dis- 
covered any particular limitation either in the written laws 
of Utah or the common custom, to the number allowed to a 
"good Mormon." When I first went to Salt Lake City, the 
Robt. T. Burton often mentioned by Hlckm;in, was Collector 
of Internal Revenue for the Territory* Sheriff of the Coimty, 
Assessor and Collector of Territorial Taxes,be8ides being a 
Bishop in the church. General in the Nauvoo Legion, hus- 
band of four wives, and, with no Gentile kno'vs how many 
duties, as secret policeman and Danite. One man in Fill- 
more held the offices of Ccuntj- Clerk and Recorder; Town 
Clerk and Justice of the Peace; Assessor tnd Collector of 
Internal Revenue, and ex-offlcio Overseer of the Poor. 

All these arrangements trace back to the one cardinal 
principle: to keep all power consolidated in the hands of the 
Priesthood.— See lAfe in Vtahy pp. 398-400. 

E. 

Through the indefatigable labors of Unitod States Mar- 
shals and detectives, the entire history of Yates has been 
made known. His wife, residing at present in Nevada and 
married again, has written to Salt Lake enclosing photo- 
graphs of the murdered man, taken a short time before his 
death. She had always supposed ho was killed by the In- 
dians. His remains have been disinterred from the spot 
named by Hickman, and the chain of evidence is complete. 
Hosea Stout, a Mormon lawyer of consiierable prominence, 
who was arrested for complicity in this murder, and on 
Hickman*s testimony, admits that Yates was killed (w a spy; 



206 APPENDIX. 

but insists that he was not present and had no knowledge of 
the transaction; that Yates was delivered to Hickman to be 
taken to the city, and neither he nor any other officer saw 
him again. 

F. 

Of all the cowardly and cold-blooded acts which have 
made the Mormon Priesthood infamous, this v.holesale mur- 
der of the Aikin paity stands pre-eminent. Second to that 
of Mountain Meadow only in extent, it even excels it in wan- 
Ion cruelty, treachery, and violation of every principle of 
hospitality, that virtue held sacred even by marauding Arabs 
or wild Indians, by all savag«is except Mormon fanatics. 
Fourteen years had the blood of these victins cried from 
the gi-ound before the whole truth was known, and now, with 
the establishment of national power in Utah, a cloud of wit- 
nesses rise, and eveiy incident in the tragedy is fully proved. 
From the evidence before the gi'aud jury and in possession 
of the ofRcei^s, I condense the history of the Aikin party, and 
their treacherous murder. The party consisted of six men: 

John Aikin, William Aikin, Buck, a man known as 

"Colonel," and two others whose names the witnesses do not 
remember. They included a blacksmith, a carpenter, one 
or two traders, and others whose businss was unknown, 
but they were supposed to be "sporting mOii." They left 
Sacramento early in May, 1857, going eastward to meet 
Johnston's army, as was supposed. On reaching the Hum- 
boldt River they found the Indians very bad, and waited 
for a train of the Mormons from Carson, who were ordered 
home about that time. With them they completed the jour- 
ney. John l*ondleton, one of that Mormon party, in his tes- 
timony on the case says: *'A better lot of boys I never saw. 
They wore kind, polite, and brave; always ready to do any- 
thing needed on the road." 

The train traveled slowly, so the Aikin party left it a 
hundred miles uiU and came ahead, and on reaching Kays- 
yJJlc, iwojity-five miles north of Salt Lake City, they were 



APPENDIX. 207 

all arrested on the chai*ge of being spies for the Govern- 
ment! A few days after Pendleton and party arrived and 
recognized their horses in the public Corral, On inquiry he 
was told the men had been arrested as spies, to which he 
replied, **,Spies, h— II! Why, they've come with us all the 
way — know nothing about the Army." The party in charge 
answered that they "did not care, they would keep them." 
The Aikin party had stock, property, and money estimated 
at 125,000. 

They were then taken to the city and confined in a house 
at the corner of Main and First South Streets. Nothing be- 
ing proved against them they were told they should be "sent 
out of the Territory by the Southern route." Four of them 
started, leaving Buck and one of the unknown men in the ^ 
city. The party had for aa escort, O. P. Rockwell, John 

Tx)t, Miles, and one other. When they reached Nephi, 

one hundred miles south, Rockwell informed the Bishop, 
Bryant, that his orders were to "have the men used up . 
there." Bishop Bryant called a council at once, and the 
following men were selected to assist: J. Bigler (now a 
Bishop,) P. Pitchforth, his "first councillor," John Kink, and 
Pickton. 

The doomed men were stopping at T. B. Foote's, and 
some persons in the family afterwards testified to having 
heard the council that condemned them. The selected mur- 
derers, at 11 p. m., started from the Tithing House and 
got ahead of the Aikins', who did not start till daylight. 
The latter reached the Sevier River, when Rockwell in- 
formed thom they could find no other camp that day; they 
halted, when the other party approached and asked to 
camp with them, for which permission was granted. The 
weary men removed their arms and heavy clothing, and 
were soon lost in sleep — that sleep which for two of them 
was to have no waking on earth. All seemed fit for their 
damnable purpose, and yet the murderers hesitated. As 
near as can be determined, they still feared that all could 



208 APPENDIX. 

not be done with perfect secrecy, and determined to use no 
firearms. With this view the escort and the party from 
Nephi attaclced the sleeping men with clnhs and the king- 
bolts of the wagons. Two died without a struggle. But 
John Aiken bounded to his feet, but slightly wounded, and 
sprang into the brush. A shot from the pistol of John 
Kink laid him senseless. "Colonel'* also reached the brush, 
receiving a shot in the shoulder from Port Rockwell, and 
believing the whole party had been attacked by banditti, 
he made his way back to Nephi. With almost superhuman 
strength he hold out during the twenty-five miles, and the 
first bright rays of a Utah sun showed the man, who twenty- 
four hours before had left them handsome and vigorous 
in the pride of manhood, now ghastly pale and drenched 
with his own blood, staggering feebly along the streets 
of Nephi. He reached Bishop Foote's, and his story elicited 
a well-feigned horror. 

Meanwhile the murderers had gathered up the other 
three and thrown them into the river, supposing all to be 
dead. But John Aiken revived and crawled out on the same 
side, and hiding in the brush, heard these terrible words: 

'Are the damned Gentiles all dead. Port?" 

'All but one— the son of a b ran." 

Supposing himself to be meant, Aikin lay still till the 
Danites left, then, without hat, coat, or boots, on a No- 
vember night, the ground covered with snow, he set out 
for Nephi. Who can imagine the feelings of the man? Un- 
like "Colonel" he knew too well who the murderers were, 
and believed himself the only survivor. To return to Nephi 
offered but slight hope, but it was the only hope, and in- 
credible as it may appear he rcnched it next day. He sank 
helpless at the door of the first house he reached, but the 
words he heard infused new life into him. The woman, 
afterwards a witness, said to him, "Why, another of you 
ones got away from the robbers, and is at Brother Footers." 
'T/?flnk God; it is my brother," he said, and started on. 



it 
ti 



APPENDIX. 209 

The citizens tell with wonder that he ran the whole dis- 
tance, his hair clotted with blood, reeling like a drunken 
man all the way. It was not his brother, but "Colonel." 
The meeting of the two at Foote's was too affecting for 
language to describe. They fell upon each other's necks, 
clasped their blood-spattered arms around each other, and 
with mingled tears and sobs kissed and embraced as only 
men can who together have passed through death. A 
demon might have shed tears at the sight — but not a Mor- 
mon Bishop. The fierce tiger can be lured from his prey, 
the bear may become civilized, or the hyena be tamed of his 
lust for human flesh — religious fanaticism alone can triupmh 
over all tenderness, and make man tenfold more the child 
of hell than the worst passions of mere physical nature. 
Even while gazing upon this scene, the implacables were 
deciding upon their death. 

Bishop Bryant came, extracted the balls, dressed the 
wounds, and advised the men to return, as soon as they 
were able, to Salt Lake City. A son of Bishop Foote had 
proved their best friend, and Alkin requested him to take 
his account in writing of the affair. Aiken began to write 
it, but was unmanned, and begged young Foote to do it, 
which he did. That writing, the dying declaration of 
"Coloner and John Aiken, is in existeiice to-day. 

The murderers had returned, and a new plan was con- 
cocted. "Colonel" had saved his pistol and Aiken his watch, 
a gold one, worth at least $250. When ready to leave they 
asked the bill, and were informed it was |30. They prom- 
ised to send it from the city, and were told that "would not 
do." Aiken then said, "Here is my watch and my partner's 
pistol — take your choice." Foote took the pistol. When he 
handed it to him, Aikin said, "There, take my best friend. 
But God knows it will do us no good." Then to his partner, 
with tears streaming from his eyes, "Prepare for death. 
Colonel, we will never get out of this valley alive." 

According to the main witness, a woman of Nephi, all 



210 APPENDIX. 

regarded them as doomed. They had got four miles on the 
road, when their driver, a Mormon named Wollf, stopped 
the wagon near an old cabin; informed them he must watdr 
his horses; unhitched them, and moved away. Two men 
then stepped from the cabin, and fired with double-barreled 
guns; Aikin and "Colonel** were both shot through the head, 
and fell dead from the wagon. Their bodies were then 
loaded with stone and put in one of those "bottomless 
springs'* — so called — common in that part of Utah. 

I passed the place in 1869, and heard from a native the 
whispered rumors about "some bad men that were sunk 
in that spring.** The scenery would seem to shut out all 
idea of crime, and irresistibly awaken thoughts of heaven. 
The soft air of Utah is around; above the blue sky smiles 
as if it were impossible there could be such things as sin 
or crime; and the neat village of Nephi brightens the plain, 
as innocently fair as if it had not witnessed a crime as 
black and dastardly as ever disgraced the annals of the 
civilized world. 

Meanwhile Rockwell and party had reached the city, 
taken Buck and the other man, and started southward, ply- 
ing them with liquor. It is probable that Buck only feigned 
drunkenness; but the other man was insensible by the 
time they reached the Point of the Mountain. There it was 
decided to "use them up,*' and they were attacked with 
slung-shots and billies. The other man was instantly killed. 
Buck leaped from the wagon, outran his pursuers, their 
shots missing him, swam the Jordan, and came down it on 
the west side. He reached the city and related all that 
occurred, which created quite a stir. Hickman. was then 
sent for to "finish the job,*' which he did, as related in the 
text. 

The last of the Aikin party lies in an unmarked grave — 

even with Hlckman*s directions it cannot now be found — 

and for fourteen years their murderers have gone unpun- 

Ished. The man most guilty is accounted a hero, and even 



APPENDIX. 211 

now it appeal^ that justice may be defeated through the 
mere indifterence of Government. 

G. 

Hickman's account of Drown and Arnold differs very 
much from the popular account in Utah. Judge Cradle- 
baugh says that Drown has sued Hickman on a promissory 
note and obtained a judgment, which led to a quarrel. Nor 
did I ever hear the charge of horse-stealing before I saw 
Hickman's manuscript. 

But according to the best testimony of the best men 
who were then members of the Mormon Church, it was not 
for stealing or any other crime these men were killed, but 
for apostasy and spiritualism! This may sound ridicu- 
lous, but it is a singular fact that there is no other form 
of apostasy the Mormon Priesthood so fear, hate, and curse, 
and no kind of mysticism to which apostate Mormons are 
so prone, as spiritualism. The whole body of the Church 
seems only to be kept therefrom by constantly hearing from 
the Priesthood that it is the "doings of the devil," and noth- 
ing seems to interest a young and skeptical Mormon so 
quick as "circles, seances, visions, shadowy hands, and con- 
jurations with boxes, "pendulum oracles," planchette, and 
every kind of forbidden and diabolical nonsense. 

Drown and Arnold were spiritualists, and were holding 
a "circle" — or seance — with one or two others, when the 
house was attacked — as testified to by a reliable man who 
was present. 

H. 

Like the foregoing this case differs materially from the 
popular account in Utah. But the case was never fully in- 
vestigated. The Mormon Legislature has, practically, pro- 
vided for the shooting of any who attempt the virtue of a 
woman; and the Mormons boast loud and long that this 
"killing in defense of virtue" is the glory of their system. 



212 APPENDIX. 

The idea that woman might be so elevated and educated as 
to be the best guardian of her own honor, never seems to 
have entered their heads. Theirs is simply the Asiatic idea 
modernized: woman helonfjs to man, and it is to punish any 
infringemejit on his property; if a man entice away an- 
other's horse or cow, punish him acocrding to its value, 
and as woman is of most value, if he persuade her away, 
shoot him. 

I. 

Jason Luce was shot in pursuance of the sentence of 
law, in Salt Lake City, for the murder of a desperado from 
Montana. The circumstances were such that many people 
in Montana petitioned for Luce's pardon. The other had 
threatened to kill him on sight, and when Luce was in 
Montana the preceding year, he had narrowly escaped be- 
ing killed. But just at that time the Priesthood needed a 
victim, over whom to make a parade of their zeal in de- 
fense of visitors, and as Hickman has stated. Luce's "fate 
was already sealod." 

K. 

In order to test Hickman's reliability on these matters, 
I addressed a note of inquiry to Governor Harding— resident 
at Milan, Indiana — who was Governor of Utah from 1862 to 
1864, without repeating any of Hickman's statements, and 
received in reply the following interesting acount: 

Milan, Ind., December 23, 1871. 
J. H. Beadle, Esq.: 

Dear Sir— Yours of the 16th instant reached me in due time. If 
I supposed that your object was merely to add to the notoriety 
of this man and his "Confession, '• I csertainly should decline yaur 
request; but in the hape that the whole truth may be elicited In 
the present legal proceedings in Utah, I willingly comply. 

It was late in 1862 that I first met Bill Hickman, at Gilbert's 
store in Salt Lake City. I had often heard him, by the humbler 
class of the Mormon people, represented as a very bad man; but 
never remember hearing his character mentioned by any one "In 
authority.** This term applies to all, from a "ward teacher" to 



APPENDIX. 213 

the ''President" himself. The others spoke of Hickman always 
with bated breath. He was represented to me as one capable of 
taking a man by the hand, professing to be his friend, and stab- 
bing him to the heart with the other hand. But I never heard 
any one charge him with being a thief, or liar, or coward. 
Naturally enough, I scrutinized him very closely, finding him 
coarse and rough, but very affable; and could not decide whether 
the animal or intellectual predominated in his looks. 

When introduced, Hickman gave my hand a grip which seemed 
to mean something; and he looked at me closely from head to 
foot, as if studying my person thoroughly. Not lon^r after t de- 
livered my message to the Utah L#egislature, which has been ex- 
tensively published in the country and become historical. This 
was the end of my social relations with Brigham Young. 

I think that l^ickman called three or four, times that winter, 
and took dinner with me. I found on closer acquaintance that 1 
must modify my first views of him. This was caused by the 
sympathy he expressed for the miserable Morrlsltes, whose his- 
tory has no parallel on this continent since the religious bigotry 
of the seventeenth century. 

The substance of their story is as follows, which may be relied 
on as correct. Joseph Morris had been a faithful follower of 
Brigham Young for many years, but at length concluded to turn 
prophet on his own account. He appears to have been a man of 
some remarkable gifts; at any rate he caused a schism in the 
Mormon Church, calling after him several bishops and elders, 
with the laymen, including five hundred rank and file. With him 
was one Joseph Banks, a Massachusetts man, I believe, well edu- 
cated. He was the man who made the speech in Salt Lake City 
at the time of Greeley's visit. There was no great difference in 
the doctrines of Morris and Brigham, except in one particular: 
Morris taught that he was the true prophet, "anointed of the 
liOrd," and Brigham that he himself was "God's Anointed." 
Taking the testimony of both parties, it would be hard to settle 
the theological muddle, for both claimed to have the "gift of 
tongues," the power of healing, and "laying on of hands," of 
"casting out devils," and so on to the end of the chapter. II 
was but the old story over again: "There is not room in the 
Roman Empire for two Caesars." 

Early in 1862 the Morrisites left the Mormon settlements and 
"gathered in the name of the Lord" on the banks of Weber 
River, some forty miles north of*the city. They took all their 
movable property with them, including a large amount of grrain. 
Various charges were made against them, and legal executions 
followed. Some men they had sent to a distant mill wV«c». ^gt-^tev 



214 APPENDIX. 

were arrested and kept prisoners. Pines were assessed against 
them for refusingr to drill the Utah militia; some of their cattle 
were seized on execution, and others stami>eded and driven off. 
Some of them (th«re is good evidence) foimd their way to the 
church corral. This was carried so far, that the last cow of 
many a poor man was taken, on which they largely depended, 
and the little children, not able to appreciate the faith of their 
parents, often went crying and supperless to bed. 

This deliberate cruelty of course created great excitement in 
the camp of the new prophet. As might have been expected, he 
stepped over the commands of Jesus, and went back to Moses 
for guidance; and, in retaliation, ordered a raid upon the Mor- 
mon stock, and that their owners should be captured and held 
as hostages, as this, to say the least, seems to have been the 
primitive, way in which such matters were settled. All this 
would seem food for laughter, if the ending had not been so 
tragical. 

There was one easy way to settle it: to stop the wrongs con- 
tinually inflicted upon these poor and deluded people. But the 
"authorities" had other views. No railroad had then opened up 
the country to outside influence; twelve hundred miles separated 
Brigham's kingdom from the last belt of civilization, and he 
was "monarch of all he surveyed." It was somewhat necessary 
for him to follow legal forms, and writs of haleaa corpus and 
warrants were issued by Judge Kinney (Chief Justice), and 
placed in the hands of Sheriff Robert T. Burton. He called on 
the acting governor, Secretary Frank Fuller, for an armed 
posse; his request was granted, and he left the city with five 
hundred armed men and five pieces of artillery. On the way 
he received volunteers to the number of nearly five hundred 
more. Many of these joined Burton's forces, as they expressed 
it, "to see the fun." 

They marched to within half a mile of the MJorrlsite camp, 
which consisted of a few log-houses, and several others made 
of willows, interlaced like basket-work, and plastered inside^no 
more fit for a place of defense than if they had been made of 
cobwebs. The posse took possession of the Morrisite herd, and 
killed such as they needed for beef, while the boys in charge 
of it were sent in by Burton with a paper containing a notice 
to the commander of the besieged that if he did not surren- 
der unconditionally within half an hour, firing would begin. 
This is the testimony of Burton himself, upon the trial. Bur- 
ton had placed his cannon in such a position as to rake the 
camp with a cross-fire. 

Morris had called his people to the Bowery, their place of 



APPENDIX. 215 

worship, to decide what they should do. He told them the Ix)rd 
would reveal their duty, and the whole oon^rregatlon raised a 
hymn of their own, hundreds of voices mingling: with a wild 
charm, and producing a spirited effect upon the fanatical minds 
which can be imagrined. Meantime Morris stood with implor- 
ing hands end eyes turned heavenward, and Banks stood by, 
believing the revelation would come in answer to their prayers. 
Morris encouraged his people, reminding them of the promises, 
"They who wait on the Lord shall not perish," '*One shall chase 
a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight." 

But no "revelation" came, and as the last hallelujah died 
away, the sound of a cannon broke upon the melody, but the 
shot fell short of the camp (some of the Brighamite posse tes- 
tify that it was a blank shot). The next instant another can- 
non was fired, the shot struck the Bowery, two women fell 
dead, horribly mangled, and a girl of twelve years had her 
chin shot away. One of the women who fell had a child in her 
arms, which, strange to say, was not injured. Unhappily the 
poor girl did not die. I saw her at my office afterwards, the 
most ghai^tly human face my eyes ever beheld. 

All this time the doomed prophet stood looking up to the 
heavens, as if he expected them to open, and troops of angels 
descend with flaming swords to deliver him and his people from 
the hands of the spoiler. 

The Morrisites had not more than ninety able-bodied men, 
all told, with over three hundred women and children. And 
now commenced assault and repulse, scouting and counterplot- 
ting, which continued all night and the next two days. Some 
ten persons were killed in the camp of the new prophet, and 
two of the Brighamites had fallen by their sharpshooters. The 
third day, the besieged being exhausted, a white flag was raised 
as a signal of surrender. The order was given by Burton for 
the women and children to separate from the men, which was 
done, euid the latter stacked their arms. Burton rode into camp 
with one of his officers beside him, and holding his revolver in 
his hand. He said: "Show him to me." Morris was pointed 
out, when Burton rode up to him and emptied one chamber 
of his revolver, the shot taking effect in the prophet's neck. He 
sank to the earth, mortally wounded. Burton then shouted 
eneeringly: "There 's your prophet— what do you think of him 
now?" He then turned and discharged a second shot at Joseph 
Banks, who fell dead. A woman named Bowman ran up and 
exclaimed: "Oh! you cruel murderer!" Burton fired his third 
shot, and she fell dead. Morris was meanwhile struggling in 
the agonies of death, when a Danish woman raised him in her 



^ 



216 APPENDIX. 

arms, crying bitterly. Burton rode opon her and shot her 
through the heart, and the spirits of the two victims myiglecl 
in one company to that bourne "where the wicked cease from 
troubling, and the weary are forever at rest." 

The posse at the same time came into camp, and robbed tlte 
houses of all valuables— watches, jewelry, and money— even 
tearing off the women's finger rings. 

The men were marched to the city, and the women taken to 
different Mormon settlements, after which they roamed about 
in utter destitution, "scattered and peeled," mere Pariahs of 
the plains, fleeing from the face of their "brethren in the Lord, ' 
and appealing to the Gentile traveler in the name of the mer- 
ciful Jesus for the pittance of charity. 

I soon after arrived in the Territory, and many of these poor 
creatures came to me, with tears and half reproaches, as if I 
had permitted it. Many of them were from Denmark, and the 
poor souls imagined that a governor was a person with almost 
the prerogative and resources of a king in their fatherland. 

March 3d, 1863, was held, under Brigham's management, the 
mass meeting which "requested" me and the two associate 
justices, Waite and Drake, to "leave the Territory forthwith." 
On the evening of the 6th Bill Hickman came to my house and 
remained late in the night. He assured me that he utterly con- 
demned the action of the meeting, and had many things to say, 
protesting that he was personally my friend. 

It cannot be supposed that I put much confidence in it therf, 
as I knew Hickman was a Mormon in good standing, and I 
had never heard a word to his discredit by any one "in author- 
ity." I am the more particular in reiterating this statement on 
account of the many charges the Brighaix)jites are now making 
against him. 

He was particularly earnest about the cruelty done the Morris- 
ites, and though pleased to see such humanity in one I had been 
led to consider so bad, I could not reconcile his previous life 
with his present conversation. He gave me a short sketch of 
his life, and did not seem very proud of his title as "Danite 
Captain." On this subject, however, he was reticent. I asked 
him how he dared to express such opinions contrary to the 
wishes of Brigham Young. At the word dare his blood seemed 
to rise. He stopped me and stood up (I often think now of the 
man and his manner), and said: "Governor, do you ask how 
I dare do anything that don't please Brigham Youn^? I know 
Brigham Young and his rabbit- tracks! Rabbit- tracks! I afraid 
0' Brigham Young! Governor, Brigham Young has more reason 
to be afraid o* Bill Hickman than Bill Hickman has to be afraid 



APPENDIX. 217 

o* Brigham Youn-g." I never looked on a face with more of a 
soowl of defiance. 

He ended by' a cordial invitation for me to visit him at his 
ranche, assuringr roe that he would make me comfortable. I 
have no doubt he was sincere in this, though many around me 
thought differently. I remember one reason he was anxious 
for me to go was, that I had been a little hard on the personal 
appearance of some second wives I had seen. Hickman admit- 
ted that he would as soon be hanged as compelled to take care 
of and live with some that he knew; but he assured me he had 
made better selections. He said: "I want you to see my wives, 
and see for yourself the kind of stock who are the mothers of 
my children." This small talk may be of interest from the fact 
that some correspondent, writing from Utah in the interests of 
those whom Hickman's testimony might damage, says that his 
character was that of a wife-whipper, and for that reason one 
of them had fled from him to the Mexican, whom he lately 

killed. 

On another occasion I was sounding Hickman as to Brigham's 
being a prophet, when he replied: "A prophet! No more a 
prophet than you or I. Rabbit-tracks! All rabbit- tracks!" Just 
what that expression means, I cannot say. I then asked: "If 
he is not a prophet, how is it that you, with more brains than 
he ever had, allowed such a man to get you in such a position, 
to the disgrace of yourself and family?" His face showed that 
he had never faced that question before, and he made no reply. 

I learned that he had some knowledge of criminal law, and 
invited him to attend the trial of the Morrisites before Chief 
Justice Kinney, to come off in a few days. Fifteen of them were 
indicted for murder, and sixty for resisting legal process. Each 
lot was tried In a lump; the first found guilty of the murder in 
the second degree, and sentenced to the penitentiary from six 
to fifteen years each, and the others mulcted in fine and costs 
to more than the value of all their property. They were com- 
mitted to Jail till the fines should be paid. Those condemned 
to the penitentiary were loaded with ball and chain and put to 
work on Br'gham's road, under the warden, Brigham's brother- 
in-law. We had attended through the trial, which was noth- 
ing but a mockery. Burton admitted his shooting the prison- 
ers, and offered as an excuse that he did not think it safe to 
let Banks and Morris live. Had I been on the bench I should 
have had him arrested on a bench-warrant; but it would have 
been useless. The jurors would all be Mormons, and recog- 
nize no law but the commands of "authority." When I asked 
Hipkpi^^ at th^ clpip^ what he thought of Justice under such 



218 APPENDIX. 

circumstances, he denounced in the strongest terms the Injus- 
tice of the proceedings. In this we fully agreed. 

Petitions were gotten up for the unconditional pardon of the 
Morrisites, which were signed by all the Gentiles, including the 
two associate justices and the rest of the Federal officials, and 
all the officers at Camp Douglas. Not a Mormon signed them; 
but several called at my quarters, always after dark, and by 
the back way, to say they hoped mercy would be shown the 
poor creatures; but they dared not let it be known they had 
taken any part in the matter. Scores of the wives and moth- 
ers of the condemned came and fell on their knees and begged 
with tears and sobs that I would show mercy to their sons and 
husbands. Many and angry threats were made on the other side 
in case I favored them, and one Bishop WooUey came to urge 
me against it, saying he could not answer for my safety in 
case I pardoned those men. Meanwhile the condemned, who 
were mulcted in flne and costs, remained in Jail, and the others 
tolled by day on Brigham's road, and came back at night to 
brief seasons of misery and troubled dreams in their allotted 
cells. 

The petitions came to me at last, too late to be acted on that 
night. I had sunk to sleep, when a voice was heard outside, 
calling for the Governor. My son, who slept below, with a six- 
shooter always in reach, inquired, **Who is there?" The reply 
came back, "Bill Hickman. Let me in; I have business with 
the Governor." He was admitted, and spoke: "Governor, did 
you think Brigham had sent for you when you heard my voice, 
and was you afraid?" I replied with the slang phrase, 'TQ'ot 
enough to do any hurt." He grasped me by the hand, and said: 
"Grovernor, I *11 bet on you, and you may bet on me." He then 
stated that he had lain awake that night, thinking about the 
petitions, and added: "I have been in bed awhile, got up, and 
rode fourteen miles to sign thenu Has any Mormon signeG?" 
I answered that they had not. He called for them, took uip a 
pen, and wrote across both, in letters as large as John Han- 
cock signed to the Declaration, his name— "BIUj HICKMAN." 
Then shoving aside the paper, he said in a confident tone of 
satisfaction, "There; he can make the most of it/ There's one 
Mormon who does as he pleases for all of him*." 

The next day I issued the pardon^ and soon the Morrlsites 
were united to their now homeless families. Had it not been 
for the force under General Connor, it is more than probable 
they and the Governor would have had a hard time. But aome 
mounted mortars at Camp Douglas, commanding ^tiQ 6^-Mve 



APPENDIX. 219 

House and Lion House, made thin^rs tolerably smooth on the 
surface. 

Since then I have never seen Hickman. His troubles may be 
deserved. I would not shield him from the effects inevitable 
on the perpetration of crime. The rules well settled in crim- 
inal law, in relation to approvers, should be strictly applied to 
him; but it may be that he is able to grive facts and data which 
place his testimony above suspicion. If it prove true that his 
implication of Brig-ham Young, Daniel H. Wells, and others, is 
well founded, and through him the horrid crimes committed in 
Utah by somebody, be brought home to the guilty, he will have 
done much to atone for his own share in them. 

Brigham Young is no fanatic; it is nonsense to say that a 
man of his coldness, executive ability, and acuteness, can be 
fooled by such stuff as makes his system. When they talk to 
me about a man like Brigham believing such fooleries, I can 
only adopt the saying of Bill Hickman, "All rabbit- tracks ! All 
rabbit-tracks!*' 

Very respectfully, 

STE. a HARDING. 

The editor has many other accounts of the Morrisites, 
from members of the sect and of the Brighamite posse, 
agreeing substantiaJly with the foregoing. 

For more complete particulars as to these and other 
recusant Mormons, see Life in Utah, pages 402-434 inclusive. 

L. 

**Killiii{i men- to save their souls" 

This horrible and blasphemous doctrine of "blood-atone- 
ment" is not often alluded to now by the Mormon preachers, 
but is as clearly taught in their former works as any doc- 
trine can be in language, and that it was often acted upon 
does not admit of a doubt. The theory is simply this: The 
spirit of the Lord warns the prophet that some men are in 
a "spirit of apostasy*'; to kill them before they commit this 
sin will save their souls. Others Mve apostatized; to shed 
their blood will entitle them to a new probation in eternity. 
See Journal of Discourses, Vol. I., pp. 82, 83, 72, and 73; Vol. 
II., pp. 165-166; Vol. III., pp. 246, 247, 279, 337, 241, 236, 226, 



220 APPKNDIX. 

225, and many others. Consider that these sermons were 
published by author ity of the church, and are found in their 
recognized works, and you can appreciate the following, 
from a sermon by J. M. Grant, in the Tabernacle, March 12, 
1854, and recorded in the Dcseret News: 

**The Lord God commanded to not pity the person whom 
they killed, but to execute the law of God upon persons 
worthy of death. This "should be done by the entire con- 
gregation, showing no pity. I wish we were in a situation 
to keep God's law, without any contaminating influence of 
Gentile laws; that the people of God might lay the ax to 
the root of the tree, and hew down every tree that did not 
bring forth good fruit. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Putting to death the 
transgressors would exhibit the law of God. ♦ ♦ ♦ Do not 
traitors to earthly governments forfeit their life? But peo- 
ple will argue that we can try them on, but not for property 
or life. That makes the devil laugh, etc. See Life in 
Utah, pp. 110-412. 

M. 

General Connor examined Hickman's manuscript, and 
verifles all statements in regard to their relations with 
each other, but did not think it necessary to make a written 
statement. He resides in Utah, and his coroborative evi- 
dnce can be had if desired. 

N. 

Hickman is careful not to say he killed the Mexican. I 
suspect because he could not turn 8tate*8 evidence on that 
case. I have no doubt, however, from the evidence, that 
he was the perpetrator. 

O. 

As these lines are preparing for the press, the telegraph 

brings the news that Brigham Young has returned to Salt 

Lake City, being formally arrested on the indictments for 

murder, and is now a prisoner in his own house. The pub- 



A1»PENDIX. 221 

lie will soon be able, from a judicial examination, to judge 
more accurately of the truth of this book. 

I have in this Appendix submitted to the reader only 
the most important, and smallest part, of the corroborative 
evidence. As Utah affairs have been my study for years, 
a few may desire to know my opinion of Hickman's work. 
It is briefly this: I am convinced that what he has told is 
substanitally true; but he has not told all the truth. There 
is good evidence of his having been engaged in other mat- 
ters of doubtful import, not alluded to in this work, partic- 
ularly about Nauvoo and in the Mormon march through 
Iowa. But this evidence is not now at my command in 
such shape as to present it in convincing form. Many old 
residents in that section will remember in the work pub- 
lished by E. W. Bonney, of Montarose. la., and in old num- 
bers of the Burlington Hmckeye, and Warsaw Siynah many 
allusions to Hickman. But the popular verdict will doubt- 
less be that Hickman has confessed enough, in all con- 
science, and that if each of the other Danites has as much 
to tell, our worst opinions of Brigham Young have fallen 
far short of the bloody realty. 



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